Miles to Go
by RhysMerilot
Summary: AU: They had been lovers when Emma Swan was only eighteen years old, but a tragic mistake resulted in Regina Mills leaving her (and New York City). Now, eleven years later, Emma takes Henry to picturesque Storybrooke, Maine for a two-month long vacation, yet what she finds waiting there for her is something she doesn't realize she'd been searching for before she lost it all…
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: This story contains no magic, no curse, and is solely a product of my imagination, and I'm only using the characters to twist and weave into an angst-filled love story. The story will be filled with flashbacks as it progresses in "present" time, just as an added zest to the plot itself. Please review if you like what you've read, it'd be much appreciated as I continue to dip my toes into the SwanQueen fandom :)**

* * *

Emma Swan laughed as she chased her best friend down the maze of streets, dodging oblivious pedestrians as she tried to catch up to her quick-footed friend. Their first summer after graduating high school had started just hours ago and with promises of a party a few blocks from the apartment building the two had grown up in, Emma knew that this summer would be filled with nothing but amazing memories she'd remember for the rest of her life.

"Ruby, wait up!" Emma yelled out as she almost lost sight of the tall, thin brunette up ahead. "Come on, Rubes!"

"It's not my fault you're not keeping up, Em!" Ruby laughed as she slowed her steady pace and came to a complete stop at the corner. "We're gonna be late for the party!"

Emma panted heavily as she finally caught up to her best friend. "It's barely seven! I've gone to enough parties with you, Ruby Lucas, to know that no respectable party kicks off until at least ten."

Ruby slung an arm around Emma's shoulders and laughed. "This party we're going to just isn't any party," she said, beaming her dazzling smile at Emma before the crosswalk changed and she guided Emma across the busy street. "Jefferson invited me to this party and you just know it is going to be absolutely _crazy_ there tonight!"

"What?" Emma recoiled from the grip Ruby tried to keep on her. "Ruby, is this the same Jefferson who is a senior at Columbus University? The same one who _played_ you at the last party of his you were invited to?"

"He apologized."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he did."

"Come on, Em!" Ruby pleaded as she held on to her arm, refusing to let her turn around and go home. "I really don't want to go to this party alone. Besides," Ruby said, flashing her dazzling smile at Emma again, knowing she wouldn't be able to refuse, "you promised me you'd come tonight, no matter what…"

With a heavy sigh, Emma gave in, completely unable to come up with a plausible excuse to back out of their plans now. At least this time if Ruby was played by the charming university senior, she'd be right there to defend her best friend at all costs. Besides, she'd been more than curious to know just who this Jefferson was and what had Ruby so enamoured about him. It wouldn't be the first party on the Columbia campus either of them had been invited to, but it was the first they were going to together as adults, no longer high school students, but full-fledged adults.

Emma let out a surprised squeal as Ruby grabbed her hand and led her in the opposite direction of the campus. She wasn't too familiar with Manhattan and the subway ride from the Bronx had only made her a tad bit more nervous than excited about the party even before she knew exactly where they were going. As they stopped at a corner, waiting to cross, Emma looked down at her clothes and frowned.

"I can't go there like this!"

"Why?" Ruby asked, barely casting a glance at her. "You look fine, Emma."

Emma pulled a face as she pointedly waved at her own body. She wore cut off shorts that were rather short, exposing more thigh that she was used to and a tight black tank top that Ruby convinced her to wear and the flannel long sleeve shirt she tied around her hips was almost customary for her throughout the last year of school. She knew she would stand out in the crowd at the party like a sore thumb, no doubt already hearing lingering comments about how she didn't belong and not just because she was only eighteen years old.

Ruby was dressed in a short and stunning black dress that hugged her slight curves and unlike the worn Converse that Emma was wearing, she wore a pair of red heels that gave her an extra couple of inches and definitely made Emma wonder how she could've ran so quickly ahead of her before. To put it simply, Ruby was stunning, but she always was and she always knew it.

"You look fine," Ruby repeated as she eyes swept up and down Emma's in a way that would've made anyone else blush. "Really _fine_, Em. Come on, we're almost there."

Emma grumbled under her breath, allowing herself to be pulled down the street by a rather impatient Ruby. After they walked another block, Ruby came to a stop and pulled a small piece of paper out of the small purse she carried.

"Do you even know where we're going?" Emma asked her as Ruby's face scrunched in confusion. "Ruby?"

"He just gave me an address."

"And is this it?"

"Looks like it," Ruby said as she handed Emma the piece of paper with the address haphazardly scrawled in pen. "You ready"

_No_, Emma thought as she handed the paper back to Ruby and allowed herself to be led inside the front doors of the building. They walked freely through the second set of doors that had been propped open by a brick and walked towards the elevators on the far end of the large lobby. Already, Emma felt completely out of her element with the gleaming, polished marble floors and the twelve foot high floor to ceiling mirrors that lined the walls. She stuffed her hands in the front pockets of her jean shorts and watched as Ruby jabbed a freshly manicured finger at the single button on the wall beside the elevator doors.

Emma stumbled back as the doors slid open and two couples, laughing and oblivious to their presence stumbled out of the elevator. Ruby motioned for Emma to follow her and she did, shuffling her feet as she stood beside her in the elevator, her nerves rising as the doors slid shut abruptly.

"Relax, it's going to be fine, Em," Ruby said gently. "We're just here to have a good time and it's not like we weren't invited."

"You were invited, I wasn't."

"So? You're my guest," Ruby replied pointedly. "Jefferson won't mind. He actually specifically told me I was more than welcome to bring a guest or two tonight."

Emma shrugged, wishing her nerves weren't making her feel like a complete mess. She was never like this, not ever, usually full of the very same confidence Ruby was displaying as she promptly checked her makeup in the mirror-lined elevator. As it came to a slow stop and the doors opened, sounds of music and lively chatter from inside could be heard from beyond one of the handful of doors in the long, wide hallway.

By the time they made it down to the last doorway to the left of the elevator, the sound of the party grew louder beyond the door and it did nothing to help calm Emma's frazzled nerves. Ruby seemed oblivious with how she was truly feeling, pushing open the door and entering the large loft apartment with her head held high. Emma hesitantly followed her inside and watched as a man with ridiculously goofy looking hair approached Ruby, both of them exclaiming excitedly as they made a scene of dramatically kissing each other's cheeks.

"Emma, this is Jefferson," Ruby said as she waved her over. "Jefferson, this is my friend Emma I was telling you about earlier."

"A pleasure," he smiled as he reached for her hand and delicately kissed her knuckles. His attention, however, was quickly torn from the two as he disappeared in the crowd of people.

"Come on, let's go and get ourselves something to drink," Ruby smiled as she grabbed Emma's hand and led her through the crowd to where the kitchen was. The island countertop was lined with over two dozen bottles of alcohol and a keg sat to the left side of the counter.

Emma watched Ruby made them both a drink, a very _strong_ drink, before they moved to find a seat near one of the ceiling to floor windows that lined two walls of the loft. As she nursed her drink and looked around at the people thoroughly enjoying themselves, Emma started to feel a little more at ease and not at all as intimidated and out of place as she had previously thought she'd be. One drink turned into another and before she knew it, she was left alone on the leather couch, watching Ruby as she slinked and danced her way around a crowd of much older men.

Of course, this was always a regular occurrence whenever the two went to any party together, especially during their last year in high school. It never bothered Emma, not in the least because at the end of the night they'd stumble home together no matter what transpired throughout the night. But for some reason, she didn't want to be left alone for long and it did bother her. She rose from the couch slowly, her legs sticking to the leather and she grimaced as she nearly spilled the last of her drink as she stumbled forward.

"Damn it, Ruby, why'd you have to make my drinks so much stronger than what you know I can handle?" Emma muttered under her breath and she shook her head, laughing as she started to weave her way through the dancing crowd to the other side of the large, wide-open room.

The line to the bathroom was long, but most people waiting seemed to be unfazed by the wait and stood about, mingling and drinking and laughing with those around them. Emma fiddled with the knot of the shirt tied around her waist as she kept her eyes on the red cup she held in her hand.

"Why must these lines be so ridiculously long?" A soft, husky sounding voice said from behind her and Emma turned to look at the woman that stood behind her. "It is almost as if everyone decides at one given time during that they must all use the restroom at once."

"Huh?"

"How long have you been waiting?"

"Who me?" Emma asked as she dumbly pointed at herself and it made the woman laugh, the sound of it sending chills throughout her body.

"Yes, you," she chuckled and she casually held out a hand which Emma awkwardly took in her own and found herself on the receiving end of a rather strong handshake. She chuckled throatily as she let go of Emma's hand and stepped closer to her, leaning in so she could speak over the loud, throbbing music. "I'm Regina."

Emma stammered as the woman leaned back, a brilliant smile dancing over her lips as she cradled a half-empty wine glass in her left hand. Now, Emma had never been rendered speechless by another woman before, not like this and definitely not by someone as stunningly gorgeous as Regina.

Another laugh erupted past Regina's ruby red lips as Emma couldn't help but let her stare linger for a moment too long. She felt the blush creep up her neck and settle on her cheeks and she looked back down at her drink in her hand and noticed the small tremor she suddenly had.

"What is your name?" Regina asked as she leaned in close again.

"Emma."

Regina smiled, not moving to stand as far away as she had been before. "A pleasure to meet you, Emma. What brings you here to Jefferson's tonight?"

"A friend dragged me here," Emma replied lamely. "We're kind of uh, celebrating."

"Celebrating what, dear?"

"Graduation."

"Oh?" Regina tittered as her eyes swept up and down Emma's body. She suddenly felt completely self conscious about what she was wearing since she was considerably dressed down for a party like this. Even Regina wore a tight fitting red dress and expensive looking black heels. Her jewellery sparkled in the colourful lights that shone and spun around the room. "What was your major?"

"High school," Emma whispered and yet Regina still heard heard her over the loud music. She rose an amused eyebrow at her, turning her attention away from Emma as someone called out her name. "Lame, I know," she muttered under her breath and moved a few steps as the line moved forward slowly.

Emma froze at the sudden warm hand splayed on her bare shoulder and the laughter that followed filled her senses and knotted her already frayed nerves even more. She swallowed thickly as she turned to look into warm, brown eyes that were reaching to meet her wavering gaze.

"Congratulations are in order," Regina smiled what felt like a genuine smile as she raised her wine glass towards Emma's red cup she clutched tightly in her trembling hand.

"T-thank you," Emma stammered as she accepted the gestured toast and gingerly sipped at her too strong drink.

"Perhaps, after we made it through this ridiculous line, would you like to dance?"

"With you?"

"With me."

"Why?" Emma asked with a raised eyebrow and it elicited a throaty laugh from the brunette beside her. "Why do you want to dance with me?"

"Because I would like to, Emma."

"Okay, sure," Emma replied, her nervous smile dancing over her lips as she raised her cup and took another sip of her strongly mixed drink. "If we ever make it through this line, that is."

"Of course, but I'm sure we'll find a way to pass the time, won't we?"

Emma gulped as she nodded her head, noticing at that moment that the stunning brunette's hand had easily found it's way back to rest on her bare shoulder. Emma was definitely no stranger to being flirted with, especially not with other woman, but those other women had been girls she went to school with, inexperienced girls who were usually drunk when they made their attempted advances on her.

With every movement the line eventually made and the closer they came to the bathroom door, Emma found herself easily falling into a light conversation with Regina. She wasn't even remotely aware of how much time had passed or the hundred or so people who were there all around them. She was enthralled by Regina, by the way she laughed, by the way her eyes shone in the sparkling lights, by her enchanting smile and succulent lips that almost begged Emma to surge forward and claim with her own. She had forgotten about Ruby, and she had forgotten how strong her drinks had been as the deep buzz settled into her core and helped loosen her tongue.

With only three people left in line behind the door, Emma was feeling antsy and impatient, but she was enamoured by Regina and wished she hadn't come across as such a nervous mess when Regina first introduced herself. She turned to face Regina again, completely away that their faces were just mere inches apart. She swallowed thickly as she clenched her empty cup in her left hand, her right one blindly reaching for Regina's hand and she deftly intertwined their fingers. It made Regina smile and Emma's heart flutter for a moment and she found it impossible to look away from the brown eyes that were locked with hers.

She felt herself come undone when Regina leaned forward and softly pressed full lips against hers. Emma felt a tremor rumble through her entire body as her eyes flew open in surprise, but as Regina kissed her more fully, she gave in to the pull she felt brewing deep inside and she kissed her back, the alcohol flowing through her veins giving her far more confidence for that moment that she expected to have.

"Regina?"

Emma pulled back away from the brunette abruptly as another woman called out Regina's name from near them. Regina smiled as she let go of Emma's hand and idly wiped at her slightly smudged lipstick to face the woman who was quickly approaching them.

"What is it, Kathryn?"

"Daniel is looking for you."

"Distract him."

"I tried! He knows you're here."

"How unfortunate," Regina replied, a bitter laugh escaping past her lips. "Be a dear and save my spot in line, Kathryn? It's due time I've dealt with him."

Emma stood rigid as she watched Regina storm off and disappear into the crowd while the other woman stood in her place. Emma took one glance at her and shook her head as she turned to face towards the front of the line, moving as the wait became one person less. And then one more until she was next in line, waiting patiently and trying not at all to think of the beautiful brunette she wished was still standing there in line behind her and not the blonde-haired woman who had struck up a conversation with the man behind her.

Finally the door opened and Emma slipped inside. She barely had the door locked when it was nudged open forcefully and it threw Emma completely off guard.

"What are you doing?" She hissed at Regina as she watched Regina fumble with the lock on the door. "Regina?"

"Hiding from my extremely clingy ex," she replied breathlessly. "You don't mind, do you?"

"I-I kind of needed to use the bathroom…" Emma trailed off as she noticed the rather predatory look that settled across Regina's features. "I guess I could…wait?"

This time the kiss was hard and deep, a ferocious passion behind it as Emma found herself backed up against the door, the thud making her wince since anyone outside the door would surely know what was happening inside now. As Regina slipped a hand between their tightly pressed bodies, she moaned into the brunette's mouth as a strong hand cupped her over her jean shorts rather possessively.

And Emma did nothing to stop her, her whole body responding in such a delicious way that she didn't even have it in her to stop, to think, to push her away and figure out just what the hell was going on between them.

She wanted this. She wanted Regina, and there was no way she was going to let this chance slip through her fingers that easily.

Her fingers slipped through Regina's short black hair, kissing her harder and deeper, succumbing to the growing passion that ignited between them. Emma bit back a moan as Regina's lips moved to her neck, sucking and nipping at her pulse point as her fingers moved to pull at the shirt that was tied around her waist. Neither stopped as the pounding on the door started up, someone trying in vain to stop what was happening between them.

They were far too consumed in each other and had let the rest of the world flutter and fade away. But their moment ended far too suddenly as Regina pulled her lips away from Emma's neck, both groaning quietly as they pressed their foreheads together, breaths coming out in heavy pants as they stood unmoving.

"Perhaps we should…"

"Maybe, yeah…"

"I'll slip out first, leave you to do you business," Regina whispered against her lips, both of them groaning as she cupped her roughly and possessively through her jean shorts. "I'll be waiting for you. I do believe you've promised me a dance, Emma."

Emma inhaled sharply, her hips rolling into Regina's hand and she let out a shuddering breath as Regina backed away from her slowly, smiling salaciously as she smoothed her hands down her dress and quickly glanced in the mirror to wipe at her smudged ruby red lipstick.

Emma's faced burned hot, not from the embarrassment of the catcalls Regina received as she strolled confidently out of the bathroom, but from the thoughts of where the night would eventually lead between them.

Emma strolled out of the bathroom a few minutes later, securing her long-sleeved flannel shirt around her waist as she searched through the crowd looking for Regina. When she found her, she couldn't stop the smile from curling over her lips, nor could she stop herself from readily being welcomed into the arms of the older woman.

* * *

Emma groaned loudly as her alarm clock went off, yet she had been lying awake for the last hour thinking about the night she'd first met Regina Mills that summer, eleven long years ago. It wasn't unusual for memories—both good and bad—of her spontaneous relationship with Regina that had lasted only three months to invade her mind at the most unlikely times, but today was _that_ day, almost an anniversary of sorts without the actual celebrating part.

Emma muttered under her breath as she placed her hands over her eyes, blocking out the warm morning sunlight that streamed in through the open window. Eleven years later and she still hadn't forgotten about Regina Mills or the time they'd spent together that summer. It had become a whirlwind romance and coincidently it had been the first time Emma had ever truly fallen in love and she'd given her whole heart only to ruin it all because of one stupid little mistake.

A mistake she was reminded of every day. Her son. Henry.

She loved Henry with all her heart, of course, nothing would change that, not even the fact that he was the product of a mistake that had cost her the love of her life. She wouldn't trade Henry for anything in the world, even during those times where things were hard, money was tight, and her heart would break over and over again as memories of her time with Regina came back to her, piece by broken piece.

And it was days like today she'd rather not think about the mistake she'd made that pushed her true love away from her. She'd rather think of happier moments, like the night they first met and how that night had changed her entire life. The spontaneous, whirlwind relationship with the older woman had given her some of the best memories of her life, the best summer of her life, and some of the worst. The heartbreak still lingered inside of her, day in and day out, and it made her wonder if her heart would ever mend itself. She had told herself a long time ago she just needed time, but how much time did it take for a broken heart to heal?

"Mom?" Henry called out as he knocked on her bedroom door. "Are you up yet?"

"Yeah I am, kid."

"What time are we leaving?"

"We're gonna be on the road shortly before ten," Emma replied and she cast a glance at the empty suitcase that sat on the floor beside the overflowing closet.

She still had yet to pack. Furrowing her brows, she stood up from her bed and smoothed down her t-shirt as she padded over to the closet and started to pull out some of her clothes and tossed them on to the bed behind her. What was she going to take with her for the two months away from home? She only had one suitcase and limited space in the back of her Bug.

"Yo, Em, you awake yet or what?"

She smiled at the voice of her best friend calling out for her. She grabbed a pair of baggy grey sweatpants on the floor and pulled them on before she headed out to the kitchen. She found Ruby helping herself to a bowl of fruit loops while Henry sat at the cluttered kitchen table eating from his own bowl.

"Morning, Em," Ruby smiled at her. "I ran out of milk. And cereal. And I figured with you leaving today, you wouldn't want anything to go to waste around here while you're gone."

"It's fine," Emma smiled at her and moved to the coffee maker, dumping out yesterday morning grounds before replacing the filter and making a grab for the can of coffee on the open shelf above.

Emma leaned against the counter and watched Ruby and Henry flick bits of fruit loops at each other, both laughing and giggling and enjoying the last of their time together for the next few months. She and Ruby had been the best of friends since they were kids and Ruby was like family to her and it was something that would never change. Even throughout the years Emma had went from one foster home to the other, they remained friends despite the distance between them most of the time. When Emma was sixteen, she was tossed out of a hellish situation and onto the streets and if it hadn't been for Granny and Ruby taking her in, giving her a home, she had no idea where she'd be in her life now.

She'd forever be grateful to have the two of them in her life and in Henry's too. They had shown her what a real family was like and what unconditional love felt like. They were a family, even if they weren't bound by blood, they were tied by love and love alone.

All around the small, cluttered two-bedroom apartment that had been her home since a month before Henry was born, the signs that they were packing up their lives and heading out of town for two months were everywhere. From the dozens of DVD's and board games packed up in small boxes, ready to be loaded in the Bug, to Henry's suitcase that had been packed for weeks sitting by the door, to the few bags of garbage of food that would spoil while they were gone that still had yet to be thrown out, right down to the not so friendly reminder she still had yet to pack up herself.

Emma's spontaneous decision just two weeks ago to take Henry for his first real vacation had surprised all of them, Henry mostly since he hadn't expected it at all. Emma had been secretly planning the trip for months, not deciding where they would go until a thoroughly random conversation she had with Granny about the place she'd grown up a long time ago. Storybrooke, Maine.

Henry needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and she needed needed the vacation as well, the stress of her job as a deputy taking a heavy toll on her over the last couple of years. The Chief had been understanding when she asked for two months of unpaid leave, and he completely supported her decision when she'd gone to speak to him that dreary Monday morning two weeks ago, agreeing she more than deserved a well needed break.

"I'm gonna miss you, Rubes," Henry said through a mouthful of cereal. "Why can't you come with us?"

"Because if I did, I'd lose my job, and Granny really needs the help right now since she had her heart attack last year, remember?" Ruby replied with a frown. "You know I would come with you if I could. Right?"

"I know. I'm really gonna miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you too, Henry."

Emma chuckled as they made such an overly dramatic show of affection, blowing kisses through the air as they flicked bits of fruit loops at each other. The two had such a special bond and had since the day he was born. It always warmed her heart to know that Ruby loved him like he was her own, treated him like a little brother and spoiled him rotten like a doting aunt.

She was going to miss mornings like this for the next couple of months, that went without saying, but she had a whole new adventure ahead of her and two serene months of rest and relaxation in a sleepy seaside town in Maine were waiting for her and for Henry.

Emma reached for a clean mug and slowly poured herself a hot coffee, enjoying the sounds of laughter that filled the kitchen. She smiled as she wrapped her hands around the warming mug, watching Henry as he flicked more soggy wet pieces of fruit loops at Ruby before the two broke out in a run, chasing each other around the kitchen table. Henry tried to stifle his giggles and failed as Ruby picked out the pieces of soggy, mushy fruit loops out of her long brown hair.

"Oh!" Henry squealed as Ruby made a move to go around the table to reach him.

"Scared, Henry?"

"Terrified!"

"You should be because I will get you if it's the last thing I ever do."

"Mom!" He shrieked and laughed as they circled around the table again. "You gotta help me, Mom! Save me!"

"I _gotta_, do I, kid?"

"Yes," he said quickly and squealed again as Ruby faked to the left before going around the table to the right of her. "You gotta save me, Mom!"

Emma chuckled as she sipped her hot coffee and shook her head. After a few more minutes of this, Ruby threw her hands up in defeat and grabbed the white tea towel from where it sat on the counter and waved it, surrendering as Henry whooped and ran around the table and jumped into her arms.

"I always win, Rubes."

"Always."

His smile faltered as Ruby set him back down on his feet and ruffled his shaggy brown hair. "I'm really gonna miss you," he whispered and she nodded, frowning as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug as she glanced over at Emma. "Promise you'll try to come visit for a week?"

"Henry, you know I can't—"

"Please? Can't you try, Rubes, for me?"

Ruby sighed as she cupped his face and made him look up at her. "I'll try, Henry, okay? But I can't promise you anything."

Emma sighed as she watched Henry cling to Ruby with all that he had, burying his face into her stomach as he tried to hide his tears from both of them. She was definitely going to miss Ruby, clearly not as much as Henry would. And it wasn't like they weren't ever coming back.

This was and always would be their home. Nothing would ever change that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: Thank you for the follows, the faves and for the reviews especially! Hope you guys continue to like this story and although I may not update more than once a week, know that I am still writing this story and the other one I have going, Once Upon A True Love Wish. Until next time, enjoy and please leave a review if you like or even hate what you're reading here :)**

* * *

The drive to Storybrooke, Maine, would take them a better part of the day, eight and a half hours if they didn't run into any heavy traffic or made any detours, or stopped too long for quick bathroom breaks, gas, and food along the way. Emma slammed the trunk shut, it barely closing with the things she'd backed into the back of the Bug. She turned and stepped on to the sidewalk, her hands sliding into the back pockets of her jeans as she faced Ruby and Granny who were there to send them off on their way.

"We're all set to go, kid," she said to Henry gently. He nodded and hugged Granny first and Emma watched as she bent down to listen to whatever he whispered into her ear. And whatever it was, it made Granny smile in a way Emma hadn't seen in years.

"The cottage might be in fairly rough shape," Granny said to Emma quietly as she handed her the keys. "Nobody has used it in years."

"I know, you've told me plenty of times, Granny," Emma smiled. "I appreciate this, I really do—no matter what state the cottage is in," she added quickly and Granny just dismissed her, playing it off as if it were truly no big deal. "Come on, kid, we better get on the road. We're burning daylight here."

Henry rolled his eyes. "Mom, I'm saying goodbye to Ruby."

"You've spent the last two hours saying goodbye to Ruby," Emma replied, mocking the whining tone Henry had in his voice. He stuck out his tongue and gave Ruby one last hug before he climbed into the car. "I'll call you when we get there," Emma said as she hugged Ruby, both of them lingering before they pulled apart. "Take care of her."

Ruby nodded, both of them turning to smile sweetly at a slightly scowling Granny beside them. With a heavy sigh, Emma nodded her head and pocketed the keys to the cottage that Granny had given her before she walked around to the drivers side and climbed in. The moment itself felt rather bittersweet, almost as if they were leaving for good and not for two full months, eight and a half long, long weeks.

Emma readjusted the review mirror, glancing it it back at Ruby and Granny waving them off from the sidewalk. She swallowed thickly, feeling the tears burning in her eyes, tears she never allowed to fall as she glanced over her shoulder before pulling into traffic on the busy street. She gripped the steering wheel tightly as Henry fiddled with the radio controls, searching for a station that played the a mix of music they both liked.

It took them a while to get out of the city and onto the interstate that would take them straight up along the eastern coastline through Connecticut and beyond. Though the route she and Henry had mapped out a week before meant it added at least two hours to the already long drive to Storybrooke, Maine, it would give them both a chance to discover new places along the way. They'd even mapped out where they would stop, almost the entire trip plotted out precisely to ensure they were in Storybrooke by nightfall.

Two hours into their trip and barely beyond the New York state line, Emma found herself singing along to the radio with Henry, both of them belting their hearts out as the Bug sailed smoothly down the open road. Henry was truly enjoying himself and it made Emma smile. She was enjoying herself too, the heavy burden she'd felt resting heavily on her shoulders for the last couple of years finally unravelling just after a few hours on the road. The further from home they got, the more she realized they both really needed this escape, this vacation away from home. It'd be good for them. For both of them.

Nearly four hours later, and an hour behind the initial schedule, Emma pulled into a gas station just outside Providence and turned off the engine. She handed Henry a couple of bills, motioning for him to run inside the store across the street to buy more than their fair share of snacks to tie them over until they got to Boston, she climbed out of the Bug and filled the tank with gas, keeping a sharp eye on the numbers on the pump. Bringing it to an even fifty dollars, she headed towards the small booth to pay the attendant as Henry came bouncing back to the car with two bags filled with sugary snacks and drinks.

With the radio blasting and a bag of Doritos open and placed between her legs, Emma got back onto the interstate, determined to make up for lost time as the Bug sailed down the road, occasionally weaving in and out of traffic until there was nothing but them and the open road ahead of them.

* * *

Regina laughed as she rolled over in her bed, using her naked body to cover Emma's underneath the soft silk sheets. Emma groaned, her body deliciously sore from the long, endless night they'd just spent together, her mind all too aware that the first rays of sunlight were beginning to poke over the horizon.

"Regina, I have to go," she whispered against soft, full lips that stole featherlight kisses while hands began to wander yet again. "I _really_ have to go."

"You don't."

"I do."

"Stay," Regina pleaded softly.

Emma groaned as Regina moved her lips unhurriedly down her neck and across her collarbones. Two weeks, just two weeks since they'd met at Jefferson's party and not a single day or night had gone by that they hadn't seen one another. They had become inseparable, Emma spending almost every waking moment in Regina's apartment, barely able to tear herself away even though she knew she'd hear an earful from Granny the second she walked through the door after being out all night again.

She arched into Regina's hot mouth as lips wrapped around a straining nipple. Her fingers slipped through soft, short hair as Regina's tongue teased, her teeth nipping at the soft yet hardening flesh, eliciting a throaty moan past Emma's parted lips.

She really did have to go, but she really wanted to stay too.

"Regina…"

"Stay," Regina whispered against her warm skin, raising goosebumps as she licked a steady path down her stomach, pushing the silk sheets down with her as she settled between Emma's spread thighs. "I'm not even remotely finished with you, Emma."

"Oh god," Emma groaned as Regina's lips kissed and sucked along her inner thigh, teasing her still with unspoken promises of nothing but pleasure coming her way. "You are completely insatiable, woman."

"Completely, darling."

Emma's back arched up from the mattress as Regina's tongue licked the length of her pussy. Warm lips wrapped around her still throbbing clit and she moaned out into the quiet of the bedroom, biting her lip to quiet her moans, to try to find her resolve, to stand by the fact she needed to leave. Hours ago.

In two weeks, it hadn't taken Regina long to find all the ways it took to make Emma come undone completely. From slow, tender lovemaking, to hard, fast fucking for hours that left them both breathless and wanting more. Their days were spent in a sexual haze, a desire burning hot and bright between them, the flame never withering and dying out as Emma had expected it too after those first few ravenous days. As insatiable as Regina was, Emma knew she was too when it came to the older woman, far more experienced sexually than she was in the beginning, yet it hadn't taken her long before she was the one teaching Regina new and exciting ways to bring each other tumbling over the edge, again and again.

One too many time in the last handful of days, Emma felt that dangerous pang in her heart, the one she tried so hard to ignore, afraid what she felt wasn't mutual. Was it possible that in such a short amount of time she'd fallen in love with the other woman? Was it even possible for someone to fall in love that quickly? Emma didn't know, this being her first rather intense relationship and despite feeling so scared of where things were leading, she allowed herself to become lost in everything she felt and everything that Regina made her feel.

Another low moan slipped past her lips as Regina entered her deftly with two long, slender fingers, her tongue laving at her throbbing clit with heady desire and need. Her body was burning with pleasure, her orgasm building deeply and steadily, quickly reaching the point of no return as Regina buried her fingers inside of her and sucked on her clit hard. Emma's hips bucked into her mouth and the throaty chuckle she felt vibrate from Regina's lips and tongue was what sent her tumbling recklessly over the edge.

With every soft, wet kiss upon her skin as Regina made the slow ascent up her body, Emma stretched out languidly and revelled in the pleasure that rolled over her body in waves. Regina chuckled as she peppered Emma's face in kisses before their lips found one another's and they revelled in a long, lingering and passionate kiss.

When Emma woke hours later, the room was bathed in bright sunlight. She felt panic grip at her chest when she didn't remember even falling asleep in Regina's bed. She reached out over the soft silk sheets for her, but found she was alone, the sheets still warm where Regina had slept not that long ago.

Crawling out of the large bed, Emma found her clothes that had been haphazardly stripped from her the night before strew about on the floor. She dressed quickly and slipped out of the bedroom and found Regina standing in the large kitchen in only a short white robe. She stood by the window, looking out over the city, sipping coffee from a white mug she held between both hands.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Emma whispered as she wrapped her arms around Regina from behind.

"You needed to sleep."

"I needed to go home hours ago, Regina."

"I wanted you to stay."

Emma sighed softly before she placed a few light kisses along Regina's neck just below her ear. "You can't always get what you want. You know that, right?"

"I have you, don't I, darling?"

Emma closed her eyes and tried to fight the smile that curled over her lips. It didn't matter what she said, Regina truly did get her way with her most of the time. She held a certain kind of a power over her that she knew, deep down, should frighten her with how submissively and willingly she gave into. She couldn't help it. She _really_ couldn't.

"I'll see you tonight," Emma whispered, her lips brushing against the soft skin of Regina's neck as she kept her arms wrapped around her. "But I do have to go."

"I know."

She kissed along her neck once more, smiling as she heard Regina set the mug down on the counter in front of her before she turned in Emma's arms. "Don't," Emma whispered as Regina's lips easily captured her own in a lazy, lingering kiss.

"Don't what?"

"Convince me to stay in the way that you do."

"And what way is that, darling?" Regina asked, kissing her over and over again, smiling as she did because she knew the power it held over Emma.

"Regina, please…"

Despite her protests, she gave in as she slid one hand to cup the back of Regina's head, deepening the kiss as the other slid down her back and over the swell of her ass, fingers dipping under the short hem of her robe, dancing over warm, naked flesh that she just couldn't get enough of.

It was addictive. Regina was addictive. She was like a powerful, potent drug Emma couldn't say no to, not ever, and that she knew was dangerous all on it's own. Yet, she loved the alluring sense of danger, of lust, and of love growing between them too much to stop.

"We should go away for a week," Regina whispered between kisses, a soft moan fluttering past her lips as Emma's hands tugged at the belt that kept her robe closed. "Come with me, Emma."

"Where?"

"Boston," Regina whispered and Emma pulled back slightly. "Do you not want to?"

"What's in Boston, Regina?"

"You, and me, and a week alone together, holed up in a fancy room at the Onyx…" Regina trailed off as Emma's fingers splayed across her stomach, opening up her robe and exposing her naked body to greedy, hungry eyes. "Please say yes, Emma."

"I-I don't know," Emma stammered as she allowed herself to look into Regina's alluring brown eyes. "Can I think about it?"

"Take as long as you need to decide, darling," Regina smiled sweetly at her, calming the nerves that were beginning to unravel inside of her at the thought of disappointing her.

Emma captured Regina's lips with her own, her fingers smoothing over the soft skin of Regina's tight stomach, one hand slipping down between her legs to cup her possessively in the way the brunette often did to her. It was true, the woman who had so easily captured her heart in such a short amount of time, was completely and undeniably insatiable. She slipped her fingers through the growing wetness, teasing the tip inside a quivering hole before she slipped her hand out from between them.

"I'm serious, Regina, I have to go," she said as Regina's grabbed at her wrist of the hand that had just been between her aching thighs. "I will see you tonight."

"I know, but it's such torture to wait for you all day long."

"I'm sure you'll find something to do to pass the time."

Regina chuckled as her lips curled into a knowing smirk, one that had Emma really wishing she didn't feel so guilty about staying, about leaving. She was so torn, torn between her family and Regina, torn over the fact that she felt like she had to choose, choose to follow the rules Granny had set forth the day she joined their little family, or choose to follow her heart and her libido straight back into Regina's bed.

Emma inhaled shakily as she watched Regina hesitantly close her robe and tie the belt again tightly. She smiled though, as Regina slipped a hand into hers, intertwining their fingers gently before she led the way out of the kitchen and down the hallway to the front door.

Regina is as instant as always, not allowing her to go without having her way with her once more. She pushes Emma up against the white wooden door, her lips devouring Emma's as both can hardly keep their hands from roaming deliciously and possessively. The quiet of the hallways quickly filled with gasps and moans as they grasped at one another, never able to quite get enough.

_Is it always going to be like this_, Emma wondered as Regina finally let her go, smoothing out her robe as she unlocked the door and held it open for her. _Is it always going to be like this every time we have to say goodbye? Or will that change when the day comes when I _don't_ have to leave her?_

"Goodbye, my love," Regina whispered, the words fluttering past kiss swollen lips followed by a dazzling smile that held Emma's heart in a tight, vice-like grip. "I'll see you around seven."

Emma nodded, feeling drunk on her kisses, on her intoxicating aroma that lingered in the air all around them. She backed out into the carpeted hallway and smiled at Regina, not moving until the door clicked shut softly in front of her. She turned on her heels and headed down the hallway to the elevators, shakily jabbing a finger at the button as her head filled with thoughts of that night, but more so of spending a week alone with Regina in Boston, completely losing herself in her lover over and over again.

* * *

Emma shakily turned off the tap in the bathroom at the small burger joint they'd stopped at in downtown Boston, memories of Regina flooding through her mind suddenly and unexpectedly out of nowhere. Although she should've expected it, the memories that came flooding into her mind when Henry asked her if she'd ever been to Boston before had rendered her speechless and feeling a little too hot in the air-conditioned diner. She had all but excused herself to the bathroom with more of a motion of her hands towards the bathroom door rather than with words she couldn't say without stuttering them.

She swore under her breath to find the paper towel dispenser empty and the dryer barely giving off enough air to dry her wet hands. She turned to look at her reflection in the mirror, shakily running her wet fingers through her hair before drying them off on her jeans. She jumped back as the door opened as she went to grab the handle, stepping out of the way of two laughing teenagers as they rushed into the bathroom together.

"Are you just about ready to go, kid?" Emma asked as she sat back down in the booth across from Henry.

"Almost, Mom," he replied as he snatched the last few fries off his plate. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied quickly and she waited until he finished off his soda before she motioned for the waitress to bring over the bill. "Go hit the bathroom before we get back on the road. We're not stopping until we get to Storybrooke."

"Okay," Henry nodded, sliding off the seat and making his way quickly to the bathrooms at the back of the small diner.

The burly waitress with greying hair placed the bill onto the table with a toothy smile, turning away without a word as Emma rose up from the seat a little to slip out her thin wallet from the back pocket of her jeans. Leaving just enough to pay their bill with a few dollars left behind for a tip, she waited for Henry by the entrance and neither said a word as they walked out into the parking lot and over to where she parked the old yellow Bug.

"How much longer?" Henry asked as she pulled out of the parking lot and followed the signs back towards the interstate. "We've gotta be close, right?"

"Boston was the halfway point, kid. We've still got another four hours to go."

"Oh," he frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"You never answered my question."

"Which one?" Emma asked, fully knowing just what question he was referring to. "The one if I'd ever been to Boston before?"

"Yeah. Have you?"

"Just once, a long time ago, before you were born."

"Did you come here with…my dad?"

"No," Emma replied with a shake of her head. "It was…with a friend of mine," she continued, choosing her words carefully. She cast a quick glance over at him and saw the unsatisfied look on his face.

Emma had never told Henry about Regina Mills and she never planned to since that was a part of her life before his and there were just some things she wasn't comfortable with her son knowing because of the millions of questions that would surely follow, questions she wasn't even sure she was ready or capable of answering now or anytime soon.

"What?" Emma asked him as he rolled his eyes when she glanced over at him again.

"That's all you're gonna tell me?"

"There's nothing more to tell."

"What did you and your friend do in Boston?"

Emma pressed her lips together as she gripped the steering wheel tight. "We did some sightseeing, kid. Nothing interesting."

"How come you never told me you'd been to Boston before?"

"Because it never crossed my mind, Henry," she replied, her voice clipped as she tried to keep her anger from taking over. "Why don't you read one of your books for a while?"

"Fine," Henry muttered as he reached into his backpack he had between his feet and pulled out one of his many comic books he'd brought along with him for the long ride.

Emma struggled not to remember her time spent in Boston with Regina, trying to keep her focus on the road ahead and not at all on the flashes of their time spent in the fancy hotel room that cost more for the week than what Granny paid in rent for both the apartment and the diner she owned. She'd left for Boston after a fight with Granny, leaving a tension between them that had only been growing since she'd started seeing Regina, and she remembered when she came back home from Boston after a week, that Granny didn't speak to her for almost a week.

As the minutes turned into hours and the miles passed by, her memories and thoughts of Regina began to fade almost completely. Still, the ache in her heart lingered and she thought of why she hadn't been able to move on, even years later. She thought of what had even compelled her to cheat on Regina, to allow herself to be allured into the bed of Neal Cassidy after a fight with Regina earlier that same night. It hurt still as much as it had then when she woke up that next morning next him.

The guilt, the lies, the secret of what she'd done had lasted all but three days before she told Regina what she'd done. It had killed her, completely destroyed her to see the look on Regina's face as she literally watched the woman's heart shatter. Then came the tears, the anger, and the screams she still heard whenever she thought of that day. It had been the last time she'd seen Regina and the words that had been said to her so icily were not forgotten.

_"__Get out," Regina said through clenched teeth as she pushed Emma towards the door. "Get out of my apartment, out of my life, and stay out, Emma Swan. I want _nothing_ to do with you ever again. Do you understand me?"_

_"__Regina, please…"_

_"__Get out!" Regina yelled, slamming a palm against the door she'd backed Emma up against, just a few inches shy of her head. "Words cannot express how much I hate you for what you've done to me, how you betrayed me, how you so willingly opened up your legs like a common, filthy whore, and to a man, nonetheless. Get. Out."_

Emma trembled as she gripped on to the steering wheel tighter, her knuckles turning while as she pressed the gas pedal closer to the floor. Tears stung in her eyes and she shook her head, willing them to go away, willing those thoughts of Regina, all the ones that brought back all the good memories and the bad, to be buried back down deep inside of her where she'd kept them all these years.

Her spirits lightened as she pulled off the interstate at the exit that indicated Storybrooke was just a few miles away. She nudged at Henry who had fallen asleep and he excitedly pulled out the map, instructing her on which turn to make that would take them straight to the sleepy seaside town.

"We're finally here," Henry grinned as she drove past the "Welcome to Storybrooke" sign along the narrow road. "I can't believe we're _finally_ here."

"It was a long drive, I know," Emma replied with a smile of her own. "Let's hope it was worth it, huh?"

"Oh yeah," Henry nodded as he carefully folded up the map and placed it back in the glovebox. "Are we going straight to the cottage, Mom?"

"Yeah, we are. We'll head into town for breakfast first thing in the morning, okay?"

Henry just nodded as Emma found the street just before they hit the main part of town and she followed the winding gravel road until she came to a stop at the end of the driveway that led to the cottage Granny had told her was nestled far back from the road. The sun was just beginning to dip down in the sky as she climbed out of the car and stretched out, her muscles protesting the long drive as she did. She used one of the keys Granny had given to her and unlocked the padlock and slid the chain that kept the metal gate closed off.

Henry was literally squirming in his seat as she got back into the car and drove past the opened gate, following the tire tracks in the dirt and grass until the small cottage finally came into view just up ahead. She barely had the Bug parked before Henry leaped out and ran up to the front porch of the small yet charming little cottage. He peered into the dark, dusty windows and turned to her, jumping on his feet as he motioned for her to hurry up and unlock the front door.

"Come on, Mom, I want to check this place out!"

"I should call Ruby and—"

"It can wait a few minutes, can't it?" Henry asked as he ran down the steps and grabbed a hold of her hand. "Come on, Mom…"

Laughing at his impatience, she let him pull her up the few stairs, the wooden porch creaking and groaning under each step before she fumbled with the keys for a moment before finding one that fit the lock on the front door. She barely had the key out of the lock before Henry swung the door open.

"Just be careful, kid!"

"It's dark in here."

"Yeah, I know," Emma chuckled as she scanned over the wall for a light switch. She clicked it on, but nothing happened and she sighed heavily as she grabbed Henry by the back of his shirt before he could explore the dark cottage any further. "Stay outside while I find the electric panel okay?"

"Why?"

"Because nobody has actually been inside in over twenty-two years, that's why. Just stay put, please?" Emma asked, giving him a stern look before she walked to the Bug and pulled out her flashlight from inside the glovebox. Flicking it on, she walked back inside the cottage and looked around, shining the bright beam around the front room before she spotted the door under the stairs where Granny had told her she would find the electric panel.

She heard Henry's laughter followed by the pounding footsteps against the wooden floor. "We got power now, Mom."

"Good," Emma said as she stepped out from the utility closet under the stairs and shut the door behind her. She flicked off her flashlight and took in the sight around her. "It's not so bad."

"It's perfect!"

"It's dusty!"

"It's still perfect," Henry laughed. "Can I check out the rooms upstairs now?"

Emma nodded, sighing heavily as she looked around the front room. There was dirt and dust and dried leaves everywhere. It'd take a good day to get the place clean and liveable, but for tonight they had no other choice. It was that or sleep in the car and as as small field mouse ran past her feet, sleeping in the car suddenly seemed like a much better idea.

Walking back outside and inhaling the fresh, crisp air, she pulled out her cellphone and called Ruby, laughing as the call was picked up before the first ring even finished.

"So, how was the drive up there?" Ruby asked and Emma laughed bitterly as she walked down to the Bug and popped open the trunk. "That bad, huh?"

"A lot longer than I thought it'd be," Emma replied. "But it wasn't all bad. There were very few "are we there yet" questions and I can't tell you how relieved I am about that."

Ruby laughed and the sound of her laughter already made Emma miss her and her life back in New York City. She sat on the tailgate of the Bug and sighed heavily as she heard a crash sound from inside of the house, but she wasn't worried that Henry had hurt himself and she wasn't even remotely worried that he likely broke something of sentimental value as he explored the bedrooms upstairs.

"What's the place like?"

"It's…cute," Emma replied as she glanced at the cottage. "Couple of broken windows, a lot of dust, dirt, leaves. Mice."

"Mice?!"

"Tell Granny that the guy she _allegedly_ hired to look after the place did a really shitty job at doing just that."

"Do you at least have power?"

"Yeah," Emma replied and she heard Ruby call out to Granny as she placed a hand over the receiver to muffle the sound of her voice. Emma couldn't help but laugh as she listened to the garbled conversation the two of them had. "It's not that bad, Rubes, I mean, the place is more or less intact—aside from whatever Henry just broke a few minutes ago, that is."

"Granny said she has half a mind to get in the car and drive up there just to hunt Leroy down and give him hell for not looking after the place like he was paid to do."

"It's not that bad! Really, I promise!"

The two of them laughed as Granny spit off a few more than colourful phrases about the man she'd hired to keep the place up to liveable standards while she'd been gone. Emma barely could keep Henry from grabbing the phone from her hand once he was outside and she sat there on the tailgate, watching as he animatedly told Ruby all about their trip to Storybrooke and all the places they'd driven past.

As much as she wanted to talk to Ruby about the things she'd been thinking about on the drive up to Storybrooke, mostly of the memories of Regina that were haunting her even now, she couldn't do that when Henry was within earshot and prying the phone away from him now as he talked to Ruby would be nearly impossible.

That conversation would have to wait until much later, when Henry finally settled down enough to fall asleep. It was a conversation she didn't want to have, not yet at least, no matter how much she knew Ruby's comforting words would put her mind at ease.

Despite those memories and the growing feeling of homesickness that was already settling in, she had two months of being in Storybrooke to relax and unwind from her life and hopefully find the peace her broken heart had been looking for for a very long time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: To the anon reviewer who left some rather colourful words regarding the story itself, all I have to say is there are details that have yet to unfold and that will come to light as the chapters are posted and while I am not going to give away the details here, I will be very, very clear when I say that Emma did not ****_purposely_**** cheat on Regina. It'll be up to you whether you continue to read the story or not without jumping to any further conclusions. :)**

* * *

True to the many stories Henry had pried out of Granny over the last couple of weeks, Storybrooke was everything she had said it was. After a little bit of exploring after a rather rough first night there, most of it spent with both of them huddled in the front of the Bug after more than just a few encounters with the family of field mice that seemed to call the cottage home, they ended up at Granny's mother's old diner, still proudly displaying the name "Granny's Diner" along the sign.

"Isn't it weird there are two Granny's?" Henry asked her quietly as they sat in the booth together. "And it's almost the same, isn't it?"

"Almost, not quite," Emma replied. "It doesn't belong to the Lucas family anymore."

"Who does it belong to?"

"Someone named Mr. Gold," she said as she tried to remember the story Granny had told her about the history of the diner and what had happened to it when Granny's mother had passed away before she made the move to New York City with a very young Ruby in tow. "Order whatever you'd like, kid."

"Really?"

"Sure."

"I'll have what you're having, Mom."

Emma smiled at him as she sipped her coffee. It was good, although not nearly as good as the coffee Granny brewed in New York City at her diner. The diner was busy, filled with lively chatter and the sound of dishes and cutlery scraping across plates. With every new customer that came through the doors, others greeted them in a friendly fashion or if one or two left, goodbyes were called out as they left.

So far, it was everything Granny said it had been over twenty-two years ago when she'd been there last. When the brunette behind the counter came to their booth to take their order, they were greeted with a warm smile.

"Good morning, what can I get for Storybrooke's newest visitors?" The waitress asked and Emma glanced at the name-tag. Belle. "Can I suggest the breakfast special? It's an old recipe handed down from the family that used to—"

"I bet the eggs aren't as good," Henry blurted out, his eyes focused on the menu he held in front of him. "Granny never lets the cook do the eggs. Always says they're too runny or overcooked if anyone else does them."

"Excuse me?" Belle chuckled, with no malice in her voice. "I can assure you the eggs are done spectacularly here."

"I'm sorry, don't mind him," Emma apologized. "We'll both have the breakfast special, thanks."

Emma pulled the menu from Henry's hands, glaring at him as she handed both to Belle before she walked away. He didn't look at her, instead he fidgeted with the cloth napkin that had been folded beside the cutlery to his left.

"What?"

"That was rude, kid."

"But I bet you it's true!"

"Whether it's true or not, you can't just say things like that."

Henry frowned as he grumbled under his breath and with a light kick to his foot he balled up the napkin in his fists. "What, Mom?"

"When that lady comes back, I want you to apologize for being rude. I didn't raise you like that, Henry. You know better than that."

He nodded and didn't say another word, hanging his head low before turning his attention to refolding the cloth napkin and placed it back in its place. Emma sighed and rubbed at her stiff neck as she mentally went over the list of things she needed to get done that day and as much as she didn't want to think about it, she dreaded the amount of work that would need to be done to clean the cottage and repair some of the broken windows. She wasn't even sure how much work Henry was willing to do to help her out either, but it didn't matter. It'd get done, one way or another.

Emma snapped her head over at the counter as an eerily familiar voice reached her ears over the chatter of the other patrons. All the colour drained from her voice when she caught sight of the woman from behind at she stood at the counter by the register.

"Belle, be a dear and have my usual order ready quickly. I'm late for a rather important meeting with the Sheriff this morning."

_That voice,_ Emma thought as she looked at the woman wearing a tight black pencil skirt that was matched with a matching blazer. _I'd know that voice anywhere._

Her eyes drifted to the woman's legs and the expensive looking black heels she wore and she felt her breath hitch in her chest. _And those legs. I'd definitely know those legs anywhere_…

"Mom?" Henry said as he waved a hand at her. "Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost or something."

"Huh?" Emma looked over at him and shook her head as the colour returned to her cheeks. "I'm fine, kid. Just thinking about how much work we got ahead of us to make the place livable for the next two months."

"We're gonna need mouse traps, but not the ones that kill them. They're not like the rats back home. We can't just kill them."

"Henry…"

"Please, Mom? We can't kill them. They're a family."

Emma sighed as she nodded. He was right and even though trapping the family of field mice would take longer and be much more of a hassle, she didn't want to spend the next two months with Henry moping and whining about how they killed them. She glanced back over at the familiar woman standing at the counter and as she turned, her heart leapt into her throat and she reached for the glass of water beside her cup of coffee, chugging it back as she tried to stay calm.

_There is no way _she's_ here. How can she be here? How can she be in Storybrooke of all the places in the world she could've ended up instead?_

Regina Mills stood by the counter, her attention on the phone she held with both hands, fingers typing away quickly. From where Emma sat, she could see the woman had changed, but was still so much the same in a lot of ways. Her hair, especially, was styled in the same way it had been eleven years ago, but her age showed in the small lines that started to form near her eyes. A rush of heat she hadn't felt in years flooded through her body and she gulped down the rest of the water, her hand shaking as she placed the glass on the table in front of her.

She turned her head down, using her long blonde hair to hide most of her face as Regina grabbed the tray of two coffee's and the paper bag that was placed on the counter in front of her. She didn't miss the look that Henry gave her as she peered up, making sure that Regina had walked out of the diner without noticing her before she pushed her hair back away from her face and let out a relieved sigh.

"Seriously, Mom? Did you just see someone you know?"

"I—" Emma shook her head and forced a tight smile over at Henry. "Just someone I used to know a long time ago."

"Why didn't you go and say hi?"

"It's complicated, kid."

Henry nodded in understanding and smiled back at her. "One of those adult things I'm still too young to understand, right?"

"Yeah, something like that."

Emma couldn't still her racing heart or stop the flood of memories that came rushing back to her either. She didn't want to go through another flood of memories about Regina, not after she'd spent the night hardly sleeping, the memories of when Regina had asked her to go to Boston with her still so clear in her mind. She gripped at the edge of the seat and nearly jumped as Belle placed their plates down in front of them with a friendly, warm smile.

Emma picked up her fork, her hands shaking slightly as she poked at the eggs on the plate. One was slightly runny, the other overdone. Henry had been right and when she looked over at him, she was greeted by a self-satisfied smirk as he jabbed at his overcooked eggs with his fork.

"Can we go exploring after?" Henry asked, eating everything on his plate but the overcooked eggs. "Please, Mom?"

"Unless you want to spend another night in the car…" Emma trailed off and she waved Belle over to bring them the bill. "We have plenty of time to do some exploring, kid. We gotta get the cottage in order first, okay?"

"Cottage?" Belle asked as she handed the bill to Emma. "Where are you two staying?"

"At the old Lucas cottage."

"Family?"

"Sort of, yeah," Emma nodded and Belle smiled, quickly writing something down on her pad of paper before handing it to her.

"In case you need some help fixing the place up," she said with a dazzling smile before she went to tend to another table.

"That was nice of her, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded as she looked at the number and the name below. "Leroy, huh?"

"Are you gonna call—"

"Maybe later, kid. Come on, let's hit the hardware store and get what we need. We got a long day ahead of us."

"Mom…"

Emma shook her head, placing a few bills on the table under the bill before she grabbed on to Henry's hand and led him out of the diner. "If we get everything done today, we have the rest of our time here for plenty of adventures, okay?"

"Can we get a tent? We so need a tent!"

"Why do we need a tent?"

"We can go camping in the woods behind the cottage!"

"Henry…"

"Come on, Mom," Henry pouted as she spotted a hardware store just across the street and she crossed over, dragging Henry behind her. "We can build a fire and tell scary stories. It'll be fun."

"I'll think about it, kid."

* * *

Emma laid in the luxurious sheets in the high end suite they'd been staying in all week at the Onyx Hotel in Boston and she smiled as she stared up at the ceiling. It'd taken her all but a few days to make a decision on Regina's offer and it hadn't taken long for Regina to show her how worth it coming to Boston with her truly was.

Gone were her excuses to have to leave late at night or early in the morning. Gone was that nagging guilty feeling she had if she stayed too long or spent the night at Regina's apartment.

For the last five nights and six days, they had barely left the suite Regina had booked for them, only leaving to go for the occasional brunch or early dinner so the maids could come in and change the sheets and put fresh towels in the bathroom for them. In a way, it felt like heaven for Emma and she definitely wasn't used to being doted on the way Regina was, making sure she was happy, comfortable, and loved every single minute of every since day since they'd left New York City.

Emma could barely move from their little love nest, watching as she was wrapped lazily in the soft sheets as Regina easily slipped on a pair of skin tight leather pants. Regina smoothed her hands over her hips before buttoning the pant and she turned all around, allowing Emma more than a few seconds to admire her in nothing but the skin tight leather pants.

"What do you think?" Regina asked as she strolled languidly over to the bed.

"I told you your ass would look so fine in those pants," she chuckled as she moved to kneel on her knees, her lips meeting Regina's for a lazy kiss. "Are you sure I'm going to be able to get into that club?"

"You are my date, of course you will be granted admittance ."

"Did you forget I'm only eighteen?"

"Of course not, darling," Regina replied as she tenderly ran her fingers through Emma's dishevelled blonde hair. "Perhaps we should spend our last night here in the room instead? There can't possibly be any good reason to have you get all dressed up and…" Regina trailed off as she pushed down the sheets that were still wrapped around Emma's nude body. "Only to come back here and have to rid you of your clothes yet again just so I can ravish you completely."

"Besides," Emma said, her breath hitching in her chest as she ran her hands over the smooth leather and around to cup Regina's ass. "There is no way I'll be able to keep my hands off of you tonight, Regina."

"I am certainly not complaining."

Emma laughed as she pulled Regina down with her on to the bed, the smooth and cool leather feeling so good against her bare skin. As their lips met in a feverish kiss, Regina lifted her lower body away from Emma's tisking against her lips as a hand gripped on to her hip to keep her still.

Every day and every night, they hadn't been able to keep their hands or lips or tongues off of one another. The week had been nothing more than a sex-fuelled haze, a never ending high that was only achieved in the throes of passion. As much as Emma couldn't wait to return home, she didn't want this week to end with Regina. She didn't want things to go back to the way they were before they came to Boston. She wanted to spend every night with Regina and wake up with her every morning, but she knew that would never happen. It was all too fast, all of it, everything they had together, and she had a feeling that despite the pace their relationship had taken on, essentially moving in together after three and a half weeks was definitely too soon.

_This is crazy. I can't be falling in love with her, am I?_

Emma groaned against Regina's insistent lips and tongue, her hands clutching at her back before she raked her short nails up her back slowly. As her nails raked a path back down her back and came to rest on her hips, she felt the tag still attached to the leather pants she had begged Regina to buy for herself after she had spent twenty whole minutes convincing her to try them on during their only shopping excursion earlier that day. Emma pulled back from Regina's lips and raised an eyebrow.

"Were you planning to return these before we leave or something?"

"No," Regina said with a shake of her head and she let out a startled gasp as Emma ripped the tag effortlessly from the waistband of the expensive leather pants. "Definitely not. I only just put them on for the second time today, Emma. As you recall, I planned to wear them out tonight, yet as it seems, our plans have changed yet again."

"Are you complaining?"

"Certainly not."

"Good."

Regina smiled and she lifted her lower body up a little more as Emma sought out more contact. She shook her head, realizing Regina didn't want to ruin the expensive leather pants. She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively as she moved her hands to the button and popped it open as they both let out a shuddered breath.

Emma eased the tight leather over Regina's hips and she let out an appreciative gasp of approval when she found her wearing nothing else underneath. Pushing the tight leather just down to the middle of her thighs, her hand found its way between Regina's thighs easily, her fingers slicking over her wet pussy as their lips met in a feverish, needy kiss.

She rolled them over, smiling against Regina's lips before moving to kiss down her neck. As she licked and sucked over her pulse point, she felt her pulse jump as she teased her fingers over Regina's clit, knowing exactly how she liked to be teased until she couldn't stand it anymore. A week in Boston had given them both many opportunities to fully explore each others bodies, in every single delicious way.

Emma slipped her hand out from between Regina's legs, smiling against her skin as she unhurriedly kissed her way down her chest, her lips teasing and tasting as her fingers trailed over Regina's stomach and up to cup her left breast. Her fingers rolled over a hardening nipple as her lips wrapped around the other. Regina's soft sighs and moans were more than enough to turn her on and make her ache for her completely.

Regina's hands slipped through her tousled blonde hair, her fingers grazing over her scalp gently as she licked and sucked on the hard nub, sighing against her skin contently before trailing the flat of her tongue over her skin, dipping in the valley between her breasts before paying the same attention to the other. Regina moaned quietly, her fingers grasping at her hair, gently urging Emma's lips back to her own.

"Emma," Regina whispered, moaning as her back arched off the bed, thrusting her body into Emma roughly. "Come here," she beckoned. Pleaded. The words just a faintest of a whimper on her parted lips.

"Mmm," Emma moaned as she gave in, rising up to capture Regina's lips with her own in a deep, languidly passionate kiss. "I love you," she murmured quietly, not parting from the kiss, from Regina's delectable lips.

"Emma?" Regina asked quietly as she urged Emma to stop kissing her, an impossible feat as Emma was far too consumed in her. "Emma?" She tried again and she smiled as Emma parted, resting her forehead against Regina's as she breathed out heavily. "Hi," Regina laughed quietly as Emma's closed eyes fluttered open to meet hers.

"Hi," Emma smiled back, the smile shy as her heart thundered in her chest.

She hadn't meant to say it, but the words had slipped so easily past her lips as if she had said it a hundred times before. But it was true, she did love her, and she couldn't stop from falling for the older woman, nor could she stop feeling that way. Every minute they'd been together had been nothing short of amazing and it was new, so very new, and so very intense every single day. Of course she had fallen in love with her.

"Do you mean it?" Regina whispered and for the first time Emma saw a different kind of vulnerability shining in her brown eyes. "Do you really love me, Emma?"

"I do," she replied with a slight nod. "I've been falling in love with you since—"

"I started to fall in love with you from the moment I saw you at Jefferson's party," Regina smiled up at her, her hands sliding out of her hand and down her back. "Do you know when I saw you first that night?"

Emma shook her head no, smiling. "No. When did you see me first?"

"When you and your friend first arrived, from the very first moment you walked through the door. And again when you were sitting alone, long before you made your way to that impossibly long line to use the restroom. It was when I saw you standing there, that I decided I must know who you are. You were impossibly adorable, darling, when I first spoke with you. Almost as if you couldn't believe I was there to speak with you at first."

Regina shifted underneath Emma, rolling her over onto her back before she slipped off the bed and pulled her tight leather pants off the rest of the way. She moved slowly, her eyes not leaving Emma's as she picked them up and folded them before dropping them to the floor at the foot of the bed. Emma's mouth suddenly went dry as Regina crawled her way back up to her on the bed, the sight alone was definitely one she would never grow tired of seeing.

"When I kissed you, that's when I knew," Regina whispered, her body hovering over Emma's not quite touching her. "That is when I knew that I could fall in love with you."

Emma couldn't stop smiling, yet she was trembling, overcome with emotion. Regina's eyes filled with tears and Emma reached up and with her thumb, she brushed away the few tears that had started to fall.

"I feared you didn't feel the same way as I," Regina whispered and they both laughed together, neither moving, just staring, falling deep into one another's eyes. "I know now what a fool I was to fear such a thing."

Emma smiled up at her as she wrapped a leg around Regina's hips, pulling her down flush against her own body. Emma cupped Regina's face and leaned forward to kiss her. Everything about the kiss was soft and sweet and slow and full of emotions that were flooding towards the surface between them.

"I love you too," Regina said between soft kisses that quickly grew more insistent, more intense and passionate with every second that passed by.

Emma was overcome by her emotions, by how right it felt to finally say the words, to hear them. She had never been in love before and she'd never met anyone quite like Regina either. Despite the fact that they were from two very different worlds, two very different lives, they had still found each other.

She forgot those lingering thoughts, the fear that things would change once September came and Regina would return to her classes and Emma would, hopefully by then have found a job and would be working. Would things change when the time came? Would they become so consumed in their own separate lives that what they had now would be forgotten? Emma didn't want to think of any of those things, just choosing instead to allow herself to become lost within Regina and the love that flowed easily now between them. Because that was all that mattered now, was that they were in love and there was nothing holding them back from fully expressing how they felt.

Even if that meant expressing that love without a single word uttered past either of their lips. Words weren't necessary when expressing the love they felt was so much more.

Emma didn't stop kissing her, not even as she rolled Regina onto her back again, determined to continue where she'd left off before Regina had taken control between them. Before the whispers of love. Before the flood of emotions that were still coming, so much more intensely than before.

"Emma, my love," Regina whispered against her lips, her voice calm and soothing as she swept her hands over Emma's bare back. "There is no need to hurry tonight."

"It's our last night here…"

"And we shall make it last," she said with a smile. "I promise you, for this is the first of many nights to come, my love."

Emma felt that promise in every kiss, in every touch, with every moan and sigh and gasp, with every time one another's name spilled from the others lips. They moved together perfectly in sync with one another and everything that they were feeling in every moment they shared throughout the long night. It was a night Emma never wanted to end and even hours after they'd worn each other to the brink of exhaustion, she kissed along Regina's bare shoulder as she held her from behind.

"Sleep," Regina whispered, her voice thick and heavy with exhaustion. "We have to take the train back home in a few hours."

"Can't we take the train in the afternoon?"

Regina laughed as she turned in Emma's arms. "Simply insatiable, you are, my love."

"Only for you."

Regina smiled at her in the darkness, running her fingers over Emma's cheek tenderly before leaning in to kiss her. "And I for you," she murmured against Emma's insistent lips, moving to lay on top of her as the sheets fell from around their bodies. "I should've known from the moment I saw you how impossible it would be for me to say no to you."

"I haven't ever heard you say the word no to me before," Emma chuckled, moaning as Regina's body slipped between her legs, both of their hips rolling and thrusting together. Emma chuckled and her laughter was stopped by Regina playfully biting on her lower lip. "Except for a few hours ago when you begged me to stop because you couldn't take it anymore. Then again, that wasn't really you saying no to me either."

"How can I when you make me feel things I've never felt before."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Why?" Regina asked, moving her hands to trap Emma's near her head against the bed. "Because I am older and have more experience in love than you do? You are wrong, dear. Do you know why?"

"No," Emma said with a shake of her head. "Tell me."

"Because before you," Regina whispered, her lips just a breath apart from Emma's as she spoke. "I've never knew love before I found it with you, Emma Swan."

"Do you really love me?"

"With all my heart."

"If I hadn't—"

"I would've told you," Regina smiled down at her. "But perhaps I came here wishing for one thing, that maybe you would feel what I feel for you without any words having to be spoken. I was right."

"Yes, you were. So very right."

"Let's sleep now, darling," she whispered as she moved from on top of Emma, releasing her hands and moving to lay at her side. She pulled Emma's arm around her and even though Emma couldn't see her face, she knew she was smiling. "We must return home in the morning."

"Can't we just stay here?"

"We cannot," Regina whispered, intertwining her fingers with Emma as she held her arm around her tight. "But what we can have when we return home can be something more and something far bigger and better than what we had before we came here. I promise you, you and I? We shall have our happy ending together."

* * *

Emma forced open the trunk of the Bug, groaning as she threw in the tent she'd bought to keep Henry happy. He grinned as he started to load up the other supplies she'd bought so they could clean and fix up the cottage together.

Her mind though, had been elsewhere for hours. Ever since she saw Regina, the memories of her were far more vivid than they ever had been before. If she allowed herself to succumb to the memories, she could remember how Regina's lips felt upon her own, all the promises they'd made to one another, the declarations of love, all of it feeling as if it had only happened yesterday and not eleven long years ago.

How could she have done that to Regina, especially after all those long nights they'd spent together, all those whispers of love, all the promises that were eventually broken because of a stupid mistake she'd made? All these years, she wondered why she did it, never finding the answers she truly looked for and yet, all these years she wondered that if she ever saw Regina again, would she forgive her for the ultimate betrayal?

If the situation was reversed, Emma knew it wouldn't be easy to forgive and forget, but it wasn't impossible either. But then again, she knew Regina and she knew her forgiveness was next to an impossible feat all on its own.

"Mom?" Henry asked as he finished loading up their supplies while she stood off to the side of the car. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, kid. Let's just get this loaded up and we'll stop and buy some groceries, okay?"

"Can we make s'mores tonight?"

"Maybe."

"I'll take that as a yes," Henry grinned as he placed the broom on top of the rest of their supplies and jumped up to grab the door and slammed it shut. "Tomorrow, can we spend the day in town, Mom?"

"Depends on how much we get done at the cottage today, Henry. If we're going to spend the next two months here, surely a day or two fixing the place up is as good of a sacrifice as ever?" Emma smiled as she ruffled his hair. "We'll have plenty of time for adventures, kid. We don't have to do everything all at once."

"I know."

"Come on," Emma smiled again at him as she slung an arm around his shoulders. "We'll walk to the store. It's just down the street. And maybe, if you find what we need, we'll build a fire and have s'mores for dinner tonight."

"I knew you'd say yes."

Emma let her arm drop from around him as they reached the store. She kept up with him as he grabbed a shopping cart and made his way around, moving from aisle to aisle, only putting what he knew she would buy in the cart before moving on. She said nothing, her mind still full of thoughts of Regina, as he piled bags of chips and chocolate bars, marshmallows and graham crackers into the cart. She even barely blinked an eye as they unloaded the cart and the total for all the things Henry had grabbed were just a little over the set budget she'd made for each week they would be there.

With their hands loaded with paper bags, they left the store and made their way back across the street to where the Bug was parked, the bag boy following them hurriedly with the rest of their purchases as Emma fumbled with the key to get the trunk open.

She felt a tremor run through her body as she placed the bags on top of the other supplies. It was a familiar one, one she hadn't felt in a long time and she turned around slowly, looking across the street as her eyes met with familiar brown ones that were watching her. Regina.

And the cold smile she was greeted with sent chills down her spine and chilled her to the core. The next couple of months would be an adventure, all right, one she wasn't sure she was ready for.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: I just want to thank everyone who continues to read and review and follow and like this story. I haven't had time to respond individually and with my work schedule, I use pretty much all of my free time that I can (which usually is not a whole lot on any given day) to write, so I apologize if anyone is expecting a personalized thank you to your reviews, just know that I appreciate you and every single review that is left more than words can even describe. Also, I will warn you all now that this one is going to be a ****_long_**** one with many little twists and turns and I cannot wait to share it as it all unfolds! I hope you continue to enjoy it!  
****Side note, I don't have a beta. I skim over each chapter before I post and I know there'll be typos...I apologize for that in advance...**

* * *

"I'm done," Emma declared to herself as she tied the last garbage bag and let it fall to the floor with a heavy thud. "Are you finished up there yet, kid?"

"Just about, Mom!" Henry called out from one of the bedrooms upstairs.

Emma sighed heavily, wiping at her forehead with her sleeve as she carried the garbage bag outside to join the others in the pile near the front porch. For hours on an end, she and Henry had gotten straight to work with cleaning the cottage and yet, the only thing that was on her mind and pushed her move faster, harder, was the cold smile she'd received from Regina when they'd been in town. It had hurt, but it also sparked something deep inside of her, something she hadn't allowed herself to feel in a very long time. Pain. Guilt. Loss. Heartbreak. All of those things, she'd felt all over again with one simple look.

"I caught two of them," Henry said as he came out the front door holding the trap with two of the field mice scurrying about inside. "Maybe after we have dinner we can let them go?"

"Sure, kid, sounds like a plan, and no," Emma said with a look that and Henry smiling guiltily. "I'm not gonna let you keep them no matter how much you beg me. They're field mice, they belong you know, out in the fields."

"Can we still have s'mores for dinner, Mom?"

Emma looked back at her son, not wanting to disappoint him. A big part of this vacation was for him, to give him a chance to have some time out of the city, just as much as it was for herself. For his whole life, she'd been putting him first and there would be no exceptions made now, not even with the fact that Regina was there in the very same town without her ever having knowing about this beforehand. If she'd known…

_You still would've come here, Swan. No sense in denying it now_.

"Mom?"

"What, kid?"

"S'mores for dinner?"

An ominous boom of thunder suddenly squashed those plans of building a fire out in the back and making s'mores for dinner. They both barely made it back under the cover of the front porch before the rain poured down from the sky above. Emma placed her hands on Henry's shoulders after he put the small cage he'd used to trap the mice down on the front porch, well out of the reach of the rain coming in from the storm.

"Well, kid, looks like s'mores are off the menu for tonight," Emma said and she shook his shoulders gently upon his dejected sigh. "Tomorrow, okay? I promise," she said, pausing as lightning streaked across the darkening sky. "Given we don't get any more freak storms like this one, okay?"

"So, what are we having then?"

"We did buy other food," Emma chuckled, ruffling his shaggy brown hair as she ushered him back inside the cottage. "What do you say about having breakfast for dinner, kid?"

"Because it's the only thing you can make better than anything else?" Henry asked as he grinned up at her. "Of course. Breakfast for dinner it is, Mom."

"Did you get finished up upstairs?"

"Yeah, but…" Henry trailed off as the lights flickered. "Once I saw the mice in the trap, I kind of got distracted trying to play with them."

"Henry…"

"Don't worry, Mom. I changed the sheets and swept the floors, cleaned up the broken glass—"

"The window!" Emma gasped as she quickly turned on her heels and ran up the stairs and into the bedroom on the right, the one with the broken window. Rain poured in from outside and she struggled to push the double bed as far away from the broken window as she could. "We'll have to get that fixed tomorrow. You can stay in the other room tonight, kid."

"What about you?"

"I'll take the couch."

"Mom, I can sleep on the couch."

"No, kid. You've got the dry bed. Now come on, let's get dinner going, okay?"

Henry nodded reluctantly and led the way back down the creaky stairs and into the kitchen. While they busied themselves with cleaning pans and utensils to cook with, the lights continued to flicker, making the threatening loss of power grow bigger with every minute. While the bacon sizzled in the pan, Emma's mind started to wander yet again, thinking back to the night Regina showed up at the door, soaking wet from the raging storm outside and all because she wanted to see her and with the power out, the phones were down and there had been no other way for her to reach out to Emma that night.

Her body thrummed as she shifted on her feet, remembering every little detail of that night and wishing she didn't at the same time. Just like her other memories, it was so clear in her mind, as if it only happened yesterday and not eleven long years ago. That trip they'd taken to Boston changed a lot of things and it wasn't until after Regina had spent the night there in the tiny twin sized bed in the room she shared with Ruby, that things had begun to take a turn for the worse.

Emma sighed heavily as she flipped the bacon and looked over at Henry as he fiddled with the toaster, trying to get the plug to fit into the socket on the wall. She motioned for him to turn it around and he laughed as it finally fit into the socket, but not before the lights flickered and the power finally cut out completely.

Moving quickly, Emma pulled the pan off the stove, the bacon still sizzling as Henry grabbed one of the flashlights they'd left out on the small, wooden kitchen table. He frowned as he shown the light at the toaster and then looked over at his mother.

"Was that my fault?"

"No, I don't think so, kid. It's the storm," she replied and she sighed as she poked at the bacon with a fork. "Looks like we're gonna be having bacon sandwiches for dinner now."

"That's okay, Mom. Bacon sandwiches sound good to me, just as good as s'mores and just as good as breakfast for dinner."

Despite their dinner plans changing again in a short span of time, Henry just smiled and it made Emma smile to know that no matter what little blips that popped up in life, Henry always went through them all with a smile and a positive attitude. At least she'd done something right in her own life, raising her son to be who he was. Someone she'd had such a hard time in teaching herself to be.

Long after their dinner of bacon sandwiches, and long after telling stories in the dark with a fire burning in the stone fireplace to provide them light, and long after tucking Henry in bed, Emma found herself sitting in a chair on the front porch, the rain still coming down hard as lightning zigzagged across the sky. She sipped on the glass of warm white wine as she watched the storm and let her mind wander again, this time doing nothing to stop the memories as they flooded right back to the front of her mind.

It didn't matter that she didn't want to remember. It didn't matter that even though these were good memories, happy memories, sex-filled memories that made her ache to have that passion in her life again, it all hurt deep inside, fraying at the edges of her soul and teasing the poorly mended pieces of her still broken, guilt-laden heart.

Seeing Regina again had sparked something else inside of her, something else she wasn't ready to feel again.

Something else she'd likely never would, not with the way Regina had smiled so coldly at her. A smile filled with hate that only grew from Emma's inevitable betrayal.

* * *

It'd been raining for hours, long before the first crack of thunder boomed through the sky, shaking the old building and making the lights flicker. Emma had been in the apartment alone since late that afternoon, with Ruby out on a date with one of Jefferson's friends and Granny working the late shift at the diner. All alone in the small apartment and wearing nothing but a pair of worn grey cloth shorts and a white tank top, her hair pulled up in a messy ponytail and preoccupying herself, watching the storm with a pint of ice cream as she stood at the tall window in the kitchen.

When the power had finally went out, that was when she fished out the pint of vanilla ice cream from the freezer and began to eat it, slowly just to savour every spoonful. It had been three days since she returned from Boston with Regina and in those three days, she'd only spoken with her on the phone.

It wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough just to hear her voice, to spend hours late at night hearing Regina whisper deliciously naughty things into her ear as she huddled in the bathroom so Ruby or Granny wouldn't overhear the things she said in return. Those conversations only made her yearn for the older woman, to go back to the way things were in Boston, to those endless days and nights spent locked up in that room at the Onyx hotel where the only thing that existed was one another.

A hard knock on the door made her jump away from the window and her heart was racing as she placed the pint of ice cream down on the kitchen counter. At first she thought maybe she'd imagined it, that maybe the knock was something falling or crashing against the building outside in the storm. And then it sounded again, two solid taps on the heavy wooden door.

She glanced through the peephole and found her stomach filled with a hundred thousand butterflies as she saw Regina standing out in the hallway with a hand raised, ready to knock for a third time. Even in the emergency lights that lit up the hallway just barely enough to see much of anything, she could see that Regina was soaking wet, her clothes clinging to her, her hair dripping droplets of rainwater as she stood there idly chewing on her bottom lip before knocking again.

Emma swallowed hard as lightning lit up the small apartment. She suddenly felt nervous and uneasy, unsure if she wanted to open the door or just pretend she wasn't there despite how much she really needed to see Regina. They were from two very different worlds and the apartment, although it was home, was nothing short of embarrassingly small and cluttered when compared to Regina's own home.

Swallowing thickly, Emma unlocked the door and opened it slowly, a small smile curling over her lips as Regina's eyes lit up the moment Emma had the door opened all the way. She noticed then that Regina was carrying a small bottle of wine and she looked at her questionably as Regina's smile turned to a shy one and she rolled her shoulders as her short, perfectly groomed fingernails picked at the label on the bottle.

"Hey," Emma said quietly as she held on to the door and the door frame tightly with both hands. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here, Regina?"

"I wanted to see you, darling," she said, her voice just as quiet as Emma's had been. "I did try to call, but with the storm tonight, it's not just the power that is out, I'm afraid."

"Oh."

A part of Emma's mind wondered if that meant Granny would be coming home far sooner than planned, but another part of her mind was wondering whether or not to invite Regina inside. As she let her eyes sweep over Regina's body, an eyebrow raised as she eyed the tight light blue jeans and caramel coloured blouse that clung to her body like it was a second skin.

"Did you…walk here?" Emma asked her and Regina laughed, a nervous sounding laugh as she nodded her head yes. "You walked across the city in this storm? To see me?"

"I walked here from the subway, darling," Regina chuckled and she cocked her head to the side, her nervousness sliding away as that playful, sensual look appeared in her eyes. "Are you going to invite me in, Emma, or did I come all this way just to be turned away at your front door because perhaps, for some reason, you do not want me here?"

"Oh!" Emma nearly jumped back from the door and laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, uh, come in and um, please don't mind the mess." She said the last part in a rush as Regina stepped inside and placed her purse on the table by the door.

"I brought this as a gift to—for Granny," Regina said quietly, quickly correcting herself as she followed Emma into the dimly lit kitchen, her eyes looking around at the candles that lined the kitchen counter. "I thought perhaps she and I could sit down and talk, have a drink and that I could help…disperse the qualms she has about you and I."

"Granny doesn't drink wine," Emma replied lamely as she grabbed the nearly finished pint of melting ice cream and threw it in the sink, the spoon clattering against the stainless steel as she kept her back to Regina for a moment. "But, it's the thought that counts, isn't it?"

"Perhaps," Regina said as she placed the bottle on the counter near Emma, her hands moving to gently trail up Emma's bare arms. "Or perhaps you and I could have a glass together."

"I'm not—"

"Old enough to drink?" Regina tittered as her touch became firm, her body pressing into Emma's from behind. "You and I both know that hasn't stopped you before."

Emma bit her lower lip as she failed to stifle the moan she couldn't suppress. Three days was far too long to go without seeing Regina, without her touch, her lips upon her skin that ached for her every second of every day.

Turning in Regina's arms, her clothes already absorbing the moisture from the rain water that soaked Regina through and through, she shivered as she reached up to thread her fingers through wet hair. Three days was definitely far too long.

"Are we alone?" Regina asked huskily, her voice so thick with the passion it'd taken on in Boston that it made Emma shiver in delight. "Emma, are we alone?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yes," Regina said as she kissed Emma briefly. Over and over again. "I've missed you."

Emma wanted to tell her the same, to use those same words, but she felt it so much more. She grasped at her hair, sliding her fingers across Regina's scalp and neck as their lips lingered for a few heavy moments just before they kissed, lips hungry and wild. Emma's hands swept down Regina's back, feeling just how wet her clothes really were and she pulled back from her lips, groaning as Regina's lips moved to her neck, kissing and sucking at her pulse point as she was pressed up against the counter.

"Regina?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you…want a change of clothes?"

"I am fine," she whispered against her skin. "A little water won't make me melt."

Emma moaned quietly as Regina sucked at her neck again while her hands wandered over her body freely, yet not touching her where she needed it the most. Regina pressed her body flush against her own, her fingers tripping over her hips and down to her thighs just below the edge of her shorts, fingers teasing her skin as their lips met again in a heated kiss.

Her body was responding to every move Regina made, every inch of her lips and tongue, the way her fingertips grazed over her thighs. It felt as if every bit of her senses were heightened because of her and she was drowning completely.

Emma swept her hands down Regina's back as she sucked on her tongue and she gripped on to her firm ass in her tight jeans, eliciting a throaty moan that rumbled through her own body. Her body was thrumming with desire and they kissed harder, deeper as Regina's fingers gripped at the back her left thigh and moved it to wrap around her own leg. Emma panted against her lips as her fingers slipped under the edge of her shorts, short and perfectly manicured nails scratching over her flesh.

"I missed you too," Emma whispered against Regina's lips, dropping her leg back down to the floor as she moved to take one of Regina's hands in her own, guiding it between their bodies, needing to be touched. "After what you said to me last night I…"

"Are you wet for me?" Regina purred as she cupped Emma through her cotton shorts and she leaned back a little just to look into Emma's eyes. "Do you want me?"

"Yes."

"Mmm," Regina moaned as she surged forward, kissing Emma again deeply as she rubbed her harder, the cotton scratching at her aching pussy, wanting nothing more than to feel Regina's fingers fully against her heated flesh.

So consumed in the moment, in the lust, losing herself at the mercy of Regina, Emma deftly popped open the button on her jeans and moaned as Regina sucked on her button lip and rubbed over her harder, causing her hips to roll against her hand jerkily. Her body was verging on desperate and she gripped at Regina's shoulders, pushing her back so she could catch her breath.

Regina closed her eyes, her lips parted slightly and all Emma could do was watch her and feel her as she moved her hand up to the waistband of her cotton shorts, moving so slowly it almost felt like torture. Her nails raked across her skin and with the first touch of her fingertips against her throbbing clit, Emma couldn't bite back the moan that slipped out loudly. She moved her hands to cup Regina's face, pulling her back in for a slow, lazy kiss as she came undone under Regina's touch.

"Oh fuck," Emma panted as they parted from each other's lips again, only they didn't move far, their lips barely touching as Regina's fingers slipped lower, teasing her as she languidly eased a finger inside her. "Regina…"

Her only response was Regina's insistent lips as they kissed along her jaw and down her neck. Her heart was racing, her whole body tingling and humming with pleasure and Regina had barely even touched her. Regina nipped at her collarbone before kissing her way back up to parted, panting lips.

"You taste like vanilla," she murmured against Emma's lips.

Emma couldn't find a moment to respond before Regina was kissing her hungrily, two fingers slipping inside of her deeply as she kept her pressed up against the counter. She fumbled with Regina's jeans, trying to slide the went material down her hips a little so she could slip a hand inside, to touch her, to fuck her, to feel her wrapped around her fingers completely.

Not once did she think about the fact that at any given time, either Granny or Ruby would come home and find the two of them in the kitchen. Her brain didn't register anything else other than the obscene amounts of pleasure coursing through her body.

Three days was _definitely_ too long and she was already tipping over the edge, her orgasm already spasming through her tightly wound body. She needed and wanted more, she needed all of Regina, she needed their clothes gone, and she needed to feel Regina completely against her, to touch her, to taste her, to make her come undone just as she was doing to her.

Yet every time she tried to move herself from between Regina and the counter, Regina held her tighter and stilled her fingers as she kept them buried to the hilt, prolonging her orgasm in a way she'd discovered on their second night in Boston.

"Regina…"

"Hmm?"

"Can we…" Emma groaned as Regina's lips found their way to her neck again and she sucked at Emma's pulse point, hard. Marking her. "Oh god," Emma cried out as another wave washed through her suddenly. "Regina…"

Regina responded with a throaty chuckle and delicately licked over her bruised flesh. All Emma could do was grip on to Regina's hips, her fingers grasping at the wet material of her jeans. She threw her head back, completely and fully at Regina's mercy. She had to force her eyes open as Regina's hand slipped out from inside her shorts and she watched with heavy lidded, lust filled, hungry eyes as Regina raised her fingers to her lips and licked each one slowly.

"Delicious."

Emma whimpered at the sight of Regina licking her cum and moaning at the taste of it on her own fingers. She watched as her tongue slipped out between her lips as she trailed her went fingertips over Emma's collarbone, her fingertips dragging across her skin as their eyes stayed locked in a heady gaze.

"Regina…"

"Yes, my love?"

"Can we…" Emma trailed off as she motioned to her right towards the bedroom door.

Regina nodded her head and took both of Emma's hands in her own. "Would you like for me to stay tonight?"

"If you want to. I mean, I have a small bed, like really small and it's nothing like yours or the one in Boston and—"

"As long as I am with you, I'd sleep on a cement floor if only I had you in my arms."

Emma chuckled and she caught Regina playfully rolling her eyes just before she turned to blow out the lit candles along the counter, taking one with her as she led Regina down to the room she shared with Ruby. Suddenly she felt almost embarrassed having Regina there and taking her to a room that wasn't entirely her own. She didn't even want to think just what Regina would think of it, or how she'd probably laugh at how small her bed was, how scratchy the sheets were compared to the soft ones that were on her own bed back home.

Swallowing her fear, her nerves, reminding herself that Regina wasn't as superficial as she'd thought her to be when they first started dating, she led her into the dark bedroom and shut the door behind them. She placed the candle on the bedside table beside her bed as thunder cracked loudly outside.

"So," Emma said as she watched Regina move towards her bed. "I know it's small—"

"It's fine, love."

Emma just watched as Regina slipped off her shoes and ran her fingers over the soft white bedspread. She licked over her lips as she wrapped her arms around Regina from behind, her hands slipping under the front edge of her shirt, her fingers splaying out across the soft skin of Regina's stomach. Slowly she raised the damp shirt upwards, smiling to herself as Regina easily lifted her arms to allow her to remove it completely.

Being able to touch Regina, to kiss over the soft skin of her shoulders as she dropped her damp shirt to the floor, it made her realize just how much she'd truly missed seeing her, how much she ached to touch her, to feel her, to taste her. The love she had for the older woman had consumed her completely and she was drunk on love and the intoxicating way Regina always made her feel right from the moment they first met.

Emma traced her fingers over the clasp of Regina's soft pink lacy bra as she kissed her way down her spine, taking her time as she unclasped the bra and glided her fingers under the straps, her lips continuing on a slow descent down her back. As the bra slid down Regina's toned arms, Emma moved her hands over her hips, kneeling on the ground behind her as she planted soft, wet kisses along her lower back. She turned Regina around, smiling up at her as her fingers dipped into the waistband of her jeans and tugged them down.

Emma grinned as she placed a hand on her stomach and eased her down on to the bed as she pulled her tight, damp jeans off of her completely. Even in the candlelight, Regina was breathtaking as she laid on the bed in only a tiny pair of matching pink lacy panties. Her hands were trembling slightly as she glided them up Regina's smooth, tanned legs, moving to crawl over her body as she let her right hand linger between her legs, teasing her as their lips met in a hungry, feverish kiss.

She needed all of her and she could feel the heat growing between them, yet they didn't rush as they lost themselves in one another. Regina tugged at her shirt before sliding her hands up Emma's stomach to cup her breasts, her fingers teasing over hardening nipples as Emma rubbed her over her panties, feeling how wet she was for her too.

Leaning back, Emma helped her rid her of her own shirt and she tossed it behind her, smiling down at Regina as she traced her fingertips over Regina's hard nipples, marvelling in just how beautiful and sexy she was laying beneath her. She dipped her head down, planting a soft kiss on Regina's lips before trailing the tip of her tongue down her neck and across her breasts, tasting her skin for the first time in days.

Every time Regina tried to take back control, Emma reached for her hands and pinned them against the bed and would shoot her a warning look that told her she was in complete control at the moment, something Regina rarely let her have.

For hours as the storm continued to rage outside, they made love on the small bed, completely consumed with each other and lost in a lustful haze that without a doubt made the rest of the world just fade away into nothing. Even after Emma was spent, her body fighting sleep, Regina's hands still wandered as they lay on their sides facing one another. Small lazy kisses were give back and forth as they fought sleep together, not ready to stop after three long days apart.

Emma wasn't sure when she'd fallen asleep, but when her eyes fluttered open to the sounds of pigeons cooing on the window ledge outside, she found herself laying in Regina's arms with Regina's body pressed fully up against her back, the sheets barely covering them as they slept in the warmth of the room. She smiled when she felt the soft kisses along her shoulder and Regina's hand that had been nestled between her breasts, smoothed over her skin, moving to cup her gently as she slipped her thigh higher between Emma's legs.

"Morning, love," Regina whispered into her ear, her voice thick and husky with sleep.

"Mmm, morning," Emma moaned as her body was more than definitely aware of the feel of Regina pressed up against her and a strong thigh rubbing against her pussy.

And for a moment they seemed to forget just where they were, and neither seemed to notice the distinct smell of coffee brewing from the kitchen, and neither seemed to realize that the bedroom door had opened until they heard a throaty chuckle coming from the doorway.

"Rubes, get outta here," Emma groaned as she felt Regina stiffen behind her.

"I knew it," Ruby chuckled as she stood there, unmoving, her eyes wide as Regina tried in vain to grab the sheets to cover herself and Emma completely. "Guess it's a good thing I heard you two when I came in last night and slept on the couch, huh?"

Emma grumbled as she grabbed the pillow and chucked it towards Ruby, glaring at her, warning her to leave before she seriously killed her for walking in on her and Regina like that. But Ruby was undeterred by the whole thing, chuckling as she tossed the pillow back at the two of them.

"Well, Granny is making breakfast. Just thought you two would want to know she invited Regina to stay this morning. If, you know, she wants to."

"Get out of here, Ruby!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" Ruby laughed before she backed out of the bedroom and shut the door behind her.

"God, I'm so sorry," Emma said as Regina scrambled to get out of the bed and started to pluck her clothes up from the floor. "Regina…I'm sorry about Ruby. She—"

"Has no courtesy or manners, does she?" Regina asked with a slight coldness to her tone. "Perhaps staying over was not such a good idea, Emma."

"It's fine, trust me."

"Is it?" Regina asked as she slid on her bra and clasped it before grabbing her jeans and pulling them on quickly. "You do not live alone. You don't even have your own room or the privacy you deserve. I do not know how you manage to have a healthy, serious relationship with anyone if you cannot have them spend the night in your own bed without having to wake up to…that."

Emma sat up, leaning back on her elbows as she watched Regina finish getting dressed. She was upset and embarrassed and angry, a pretty lethal combination since she'd never truly seen that side to her before.

"I've never had a serious, healthy relationship with anyone else but you," Emma whispered, but it fell on deaf ears as Regina ran her fingers through her hair before slipping into her shoes. Emma moved quickly to get dressed and she stepped in front of Regina, placing herself between her and the door. "Where are you going? Are you leaving? Regina…"

"I must."

"Stay for breakfast? Please?"

Regina, she noticed then, had a pink tinge to her cheeks. "I cannot, love. I'm sorry."

"Regina…"

Regina shook her head, but she didn't leave without a simple little kiss to Emma's lips. She mouthed "I love you" before Emma stepped away and followed her out of the bedroom. She looked into the kitchen at Granny, frowning as she saw Granny had already made up a plate and had a cup of steaming hot coffee waiting for Regina.

"You're welcome to say," Granny said as Regina grabbed her purse off the table and slid the strap over her shoulder. "In fact, I insist."

"Another time," Regina said without turning to look at her. "I will see you later, darling."

"Regina…" Emma pleaded as she followed her out into the hallway bare footed. "Please stay? I want you to stay—"

"I told you I cannot stay. Another time," Regina said as she paused but didn't turn to look back at Emma. "Come over around four?"

"Okay," Emma frowned as she stood by the open door. "I love you," she whispered as she watched Regina disappear down the stairs without another word.

She ignored the look that Granny gave her when she walked back inside and joined her and Ruby in the kitchen for breakfast. Later definitely couldn't come soon enough…

* * *

Emma sighed loudly as she wandered around the cottage, assessing the damage from the storm the night before. There wasn't much, just a few fallen tree branches they could use to burn in a fire once they dried out. With Henry still in bed, she started to gather up the fallen branches, piling them near the wood pile at the side of the cottage.

It had been the storm that brought back that memory of Regina that one night. It had been her endless thoughts of Regina that had made it impossible to get more than a few hours of sleep. She didn't know what was happening to her, or why this was happening now when over the years it had only been a handful of times she'd think of Regina throughout the year, not a handful of times in the past handful of days, every day bringing back another memory that left her heart aching all over again.

Emma wiped her hands on her jeans as she heard the sound of gravel crunching and the soft whine of breaks. She walked around to the front of the cottage and her heart nearly leapt into her throat as she saw Regina Mills climb out of the black Mercedes, dressed in a grey business suit, sunglasses on and her face stoic, void of showing any emotion at all.

"Ms, Swan," Regina said as she turned to look at Emma as she stood awkwardly by the edge of the gravel driveway. "What a _pleasant_ surprise to see you here in Storybrooke."

"Regina…"

"I see that this place is still, well, hospitable enough for _you_ to stay here," Regina said as she looked over the top of her sunglasses at the cottage. Regina walked a few steps away from her car towards Emma and stopped a few feet from her as she casually removed her sunglasses. "I suppose you're wondering what I'm doing here this morning, but the question is, I came here to find out what you are doing here in my town."

"Your town?" Emma asked and she shook her head at how pathetic her voice sounded.

"Yes, my town, Ms. Swan, or were you blissfully unaware that I have been Mayor of Storybrooke for the last five years running?"

Emma blinked as she stared at Regina. The coldness in her voice was so different than the Regina she remembered—at least from the good memories she had of her. Her mouth suddenly went dry as Regina took another few steps towards her and stood just inches in front of her. She could smell her perfume, but beyond that, she could smell just the faintest hint of apple cider and she could smell a little bit of vanilla mixed in with the scent that was completely Regina Mills.

"I—I had no idea," Emma stammered and she couldn't help but be drawn in to Regina, watching her as her lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Mayor?" She chuckled nervously as Regina stared at her with her hands on her hips. Intimidating, as always. "That's impressive, actually."

"Impressive or not, I do not want you here," Regina hissed through clenched teeth. "I told you the last time I saw you that I never want to see you again. Or did you forget? Did you think that after all these years that I would forget how much you hurt me? Did you think I would forgive you for what you did to me?"

"Regina, I tried to—"

"Apologize? Explain? There was no need. What is done is done," she said and she stepped back from her, putting a little bit more space between them. "I don't care to hear you pathetic little excuses or hear your tearful apologies. It's been a long time, Ms. Swan, and I stand by what I said. When I said I wanted nothing to do with you ever again, I meant it, or did you think that eleven years would change things, hmm?"

The woman that stood in front of her was not the same woman that she had loved so long ago. This was a woman whose heart was still clearly as broken as her own, but broken by betrayal, a far heavier burden than the guilt that plagued Emma's own heart.

"Mom?" Henry called out as he opened the front door and Emma paled as she watched Regina look straight at him with wide eyes. "Who is that?"

"It's…nobody, Henry. Go back inside, I'll be in there in a minute and we'll make some breakfast, okay?" Emma said as she looked back at him and waved him back inside. He just looked at her, completely confused as to why she was acting that way and with a shrug of his shoulders, he disappeared back inside. "Regina…I know you don't want to listen to a word I have to say right now, but you are going to listen to me. You owe me that much after coming here like this."

Regina was silent, something she didn't expect, not from the confrontational tone she'd just experienced. She walked over to her, wanting to reach out, but instead she placed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans to curb that urge. It'd been too long. And she'd lost the right to reach out for Regina a long time ago.

"I came to Storybrooke to get away from my life in New York for a while. Things have happened that I can't even begin to explain and Granny had offered me the cottage for the summer. I did not know you were even here, I honestly had no idea where you even went after we ended things. If you came here to tell me to leave," she paused as a dry laugh escaped past equally dry lips. "I am not going anywhere. Me and my son are going to be here for the next two months whether you like it or not. You want me to stay out of your way, I can do that, but can you say you'll do the same, Regina?"

"Your son?" Regina asked, her voice so quiet Emma wasn't even sure she'd said anything at all.

Emma watched her as she shook her head and placed her sunglasses back on before turning on her heels and walking quickly back to her car. Emma could do nothing but stand there and watch as she drove away and she gripped at her chest, her heart beating rapidly, hurting just as much as it did the day Regina threw her out of her apartment and out of her life.

Eleven years hadn't changed a thing. But, now that she knew where Regina was after years of never knowing, she had a tiny little glimmer of hope that maybe, given some time—and a miracle—that somehow, someway, she could get Regina to finally forgive her for breaking her heart in the first place. Whether that was a good idea or not, she really didn't care because it was time to mend her broken heart. And Regina's too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes: Thank you to those who leave reviews! I should probably find time to reply to them, hmm? Sorry if you're expecting one! I'll reprimand that soon :) Also, I have a prompt fic ongoing with a future scene for this story in there, so check it out if you're interested, it's titled: _Emma and Regina's Super Sexy Mixtape_. Please leave a review and I'll see what I can do about updating sooner than next Saturday**

* * *

Henry was quiet as they ate dry cereal in the kitchen, the milk already having turned since the power was still out. Even though he had seen Regina, and had likely purposely eavesdropped on their brief conversation outside, Emma knew he was wondering just who she was and the question was right there on the tip of his tongue.

All his life, she never once told him about Regina, never once mentioned her or what they had together before he was born. Even the times she talked to Ruby about her, she made sure that Henry was never around to overhear those conversations. She still wasn't sure how to explain who Regina Mills was and that at one time she had been in love with the older woman that had changed her life completely in a short span of a few months that they had been together. She never planned to tell him about Regina, but now it felt like it was going to be more work avoiding his so far unasked questions than to find a way to explain about Regina and the history they shared.

Explaining Regina to Henry also meant explaining how he ended up being, how she ended up sleeping with Neal that night she made the biggest mistake of her life. Even thinking back to it, the details were so hazy in her mind even eleven years later. All she remembered was following Ruby to Jefferson's for another party in an attempt to cheer herself up after she and Regina had been fighting all afternoon. And all she remembered after that first drink was feeling far too dizzy, too drunk too soon, and being introduced to Neal before things fell apart in her mind.

It hadn't been until shortly before she found out she was pregnant and word got back to Neal, whom she hadn't seen or spoken to since they'd woken up together in one of the bedrooms at Jefferson's other residence, that it was confirmed they'd both been drugged that night. It didn't make any of it any better and for a long time she hated that something like that had happened to her. It didn't matter if she'd been drugged or not, the fact was she had betrayed Regina, cheated on her even if it wasn't from her own free will.

She had tried to get in touch with Regina once she'd found out from Neal what had happened to both of them that night, but Regina had changed her number and by the time she worked up the courage to go to her apartment, she had moved out of there, long gone from the city according to the man that answered the door. She wanted to look for Regina even after that, thinking if she just explained to her what had happened that maybe, just maybe she'd find a way to forgive her, but that all had changed when she found out she was pregnant nearly two months later.

It didn't matter anymore. That was the past and her choice to have Henry was one she hadn't given into easily. She knew then that having a baby would change her entire life and she knew that being so young and a single mother, her life was going to be as hard as it ever would be, but she couldn't just get rid of him because he'd been conceived in a very unconventional way. She didn't have it in her heart to put a child through the life she'd had or not give it a chance to have a life at all.

Her mind was racing and it had been since she watched Regina drive away after Henry had made his presence known. What she wouldn't have given to know what was going through Regina's mind that moment she saw Henry. What was she thinking? Did she think that after things ended between them that Emma had gone to Neal?

She thought of all the letters she'd written to Regina while she'd been pregnant with Henry, the first few of them she'd actually had sent in hopes that there was a forwarding address and they'd reach her, one way or another, but they were sent back to her after a few weeks, a return to sender stamped on the envelope. It didn't stop her from writing another dozen letters, ones she sealed up in envelopes with Regina's initials and buried in one of the shoeboxes she kept in the bottom drawer of her dresser.

Letters that still sat there, untouched, years later. Letters that would never be sent and never read. Letters she'd never forget writing, begging Regina to forgive her, to take her back, and professing her love for her over and over again.

Throughout the half an hour it took her to eat the dry Fruit Loops, her mind never stopped racing, her heart aching yet filling with hope that maybe she could find a second chance with Regina in the time that she and Henry would be in Storybrooke. Even if that second chance just meant forgiveness and nothing more.

The last thing she expected in the world was to find Regina there in Storybrooke and whether Regina believed it was a coincidence or not, Emma was growing more and more determined to make the most out of her time there.

"What's the plan?" Henry asked as he finished washing out his bowl in the sink. "Mom?"

"The plan?"

"For today?"

"Oh," Emma looked down at her nearly empty bowl and popped a few pieces of cereal into her mouth. "I'm gonna to get someone to come fix that window upstairs and maybe we can do a little bit of exploring."

"In town?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "Around the property. Granny mentioned we'd find a map here. Somewhere. So, finding a map of the property is our first adventure of the day. What do you say, kid?"

"Sounds boring. Looking for a stupid map," Henry muttered under his breath but Emma heard him clear as day. "Why do we even need a map, Mom? Isn't the point of exploring doing just that, you know, without a map?"

"You wanna get lost in the woods?" Emma asked him as she rose from her chair and he thought about it for a moment before shaking his head no. "How about you start looking for the map and I'll make a few phone calls about getting that window fixed, okay?"

"Hey, Mom?" Henry asked before he left the kitchen. "Who was that lady that came here earlier?"

"Nobody, kid."

Henry scrunched his face, the one that Emma hated when he made because it was the face he pulled when he didn't believe her. She walked over to him and gently cupped his face, turning him up to look at her.

"Nobody, huh?"

"It's a long story."

"One I'm not ready for, right?"

"Right you are, kid, now go on, start looking for that map," Emma smiled as she ruffled his hair and watched him as he ran over to the stairs and took them two at a time. "Just don't break anything else this time!"

Emma found the paper that Belle had given to her at the diner the day before with Leroy's name and number. Whether or not it was the same man that Granny had hired to keep the place from falling apart, she was pretty sure she didn't want to take that risk of hiring a man that won't keep his end of the deal. She wasn't going to blow her carefully planned out budget on a window that never got installed and if it came down to her fixing it herself, whether or not she knew how, she'd do just that.

She didn't rip the paper up, instead she placed it in one of the drawers in the kitchen and started to search through the pantry for the map Granny had told her about and yet could not remember where she'd put it last before she left Storybrooke twenty-two years ago.

She had to stay focused, on Henry, on making the cottage liveable for the next two months and not completely on how she was going to find a way to talk to Regina, to explain what really happened that night and how, after eleven years, she still feels as guilty as ever about breaking her heart like that.

Far too many nights passed where she had wished for a way to take it all back, to not ever go to that party and instead go back to Regina's and find a way to work through that stupid little fight they had. How different would her life have been if things had gone differently that way, there was no telling and she'd had far too many dreams about it to make her imagination run wild more than a few times over the years.

She would never give Henry up, that she knew for certain. He was her whole life and nothing would ever change that, not even if it meant taking back that night with Neal just to save her relationship with Regina.

Henry was everything and even though her heart had been broken for so long, she still wouldn't trade the life she's had since he was born. And not once did she ever look at Henry and feel like she'd made a mistake in choosing to have him and not once did she feel guilty for it either. How could she when this was her son? Her baby boy and the light of her life?

She groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose at the sound of something crashing upstairs in one of the bedrooms. "Henry!" She yelled as she made her way towards the bottom of the stairs. "What did you break now?"

"Uh, nothing, really," Henry said as he sheepishly appeared at the top of the stairs with both hands behind his back. "But there's good news?"

"Is there? What did you break?"

"A picture frame."

"A picture frame?" Emma repeated blankly.

"The map?" Henry said as he pulled out the canvas paper from behind his back as Emma slowly ascended the stairs. "Is it the right one, Mom? It was in a frame, sitting on the dresser in the bedroom with the broken window."

"You had to break it?"

He frowned as he handed it over to her. "I picked it up and it slipped."

Emma looked over the canvas map and although it was old, she recognized the road and some subtle areas she'd seen around the cottage. "Looks legit, kid. You did good."

"I did?"

"Yeah," Emma smiled as she reached out to ruffle his hair in the way that made him pull the awkwardly embarrassed smile he did even if no one else way around. She loved seeing it no matter what. "Come on, let's go into town and see about getting that window upstairs fixed. What do you think?"

"Can we go to the beach too?"

"Maybe," Emma smiled despite not knowing how the weather would hold up that day, for there were already dark, threatening clouds rolling in overhead. "Hurry up and get changed, kid. We're leaving in ten."

* * *

_"What's this?" Emma asked as Regina handed her a pair of keys. "Regina?"_

_"I know it feels so soon, but I wanted you to have a key to my home, to come whenever you want to," she replied quietly as they walked through Central Park. It'd been a relatively quiet evening and they'd just met up barely half an hour before. "I want nothing more than for you to feel welcome in my home, Emma."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"What wouldn't I be sure of?"_

_Emma looked down at the keys in her hand and smiled as she curled her fingers into a fist around them. "We've only been together for…"_

_"Just over two months, I know," Regina finished for her as she wrapped her arms around her easily. She kissed her briefly, not lingering for a second too long for it to be more than a simple chaste kiss. "I love you, Emma Swan. I want you with me as much as you can possibly be, as much as you'd ever want to. I don't want anything to stand in our way. You come over whenever you wish, even if I am not there. Because you must know one thing."_

_"What's that?"_

_"I'll always come home to you if you are waiting there for me."_

Emma stared at the set of keys in her hand, two of them separated from the rest by a single heart keychain. She looked up at Regina's building and swallowed heavily. It'd been just two days since she'd been given the keys to Regina's apartment and she had yet to use them. Sucking in a deep breath, she walked through the front doors and tried the first key to unlock the second door and she smiled to herself as the automatic door slowly swung open and granted her entry to the lavish lobby of the upscale building.

Just like every time she stepped through those doors, she felt like she walked into a world she didn't belong in. Everything just seemed to be so surreal, yet she knew what was waiting for her on the seventeenth floor was anything but surreal.

Using the second key, Emma let herself inside Regina's apartment and quietly shut it behind her. The apartment was strangely quiet and it wasn't as if she had expected the brunette to be home. She had planned to surprise her and she had a sinking feeling in her gut that maybe a surprise wasn't such a great idea after all. Still, it didn't stop her from walking into the kitchen and helping herself to a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice she found inside the fridge.

Emma's curiosity piqued her for this was the first time she had been alone in Regina's apartment. She downed the glass of juice and left the dirty cup on the counter by the edge of the sink. She walked out of the kitchen and pocketed the keys, wandering around the dining room, the den, and then the living room, taking in the art that covered the walls and the wall of books that had some expensive looking sculptures on several shelves just up out of reach.

In all the times she'd been in Regina's apartment, she had only been in one of the three bedrooms, the other two doors always shut whenever she'd been there. Choosing not to snoop too much, Emma wandered down the hallway to Regina's large bedroom and inhaled deeply at the intoxicating aroma of the other woman's scent that always lingered, especially in the bedroom.

Smiling to herself, she trailed a single finger over the white wooden dresser, not a speck of dust to be seen and not a single thing out of place. Unlike the other rooms, the walls in the bedroom were bare and stark white. Everything in the room white and clean. Her eyes flicked over to the bed, perfectly made and so many memories slipped through her mind, remembering all those long afternoons and endless nights she'd spent with Regina in her bed, lost in the throes of passion again and again.

Emma froze as she heard voices coming from down the hall. One she recognized immediately as Regina's and the other she had never heard before. Moving to stand near the partially open door, she held her breath and listened.

"Regina, dear, just because this is a rather secure building, does not mean you can leave your door unlocked for just anyone to enter if they so wish."

"I must have forgotten to lock it, Mother."

"What is the meaning of your forgetfulness, dear?" The woman said harshly as their voices faded but not enough that Emma couldn't hear them clearly. "For the past two months you've been distant and our conversations have been rather fleeting."

"I've been busy."

"With what, dear?"

"I've been seeing someone," Regina said and even Emma could hear the nervousness in her voice, a sound she rarely ever, if at all, heard coming from Regina. "I'm in love, Mother."

"In love? With who? Who is this man? Regina, dear, have you been keeping secrets from your dear old mother? You know how much I loathe it when you try to keep me out of your life and in the dark completely."

Emma let out a heavy breath as she gripped on to the door, the voices fading more so that she could no longer make out what they were talking about. Regina's mother thought she was dating a man? Then again, Emma couldn't remember Regina ever telling her if she was out to her family or not, nor could she recall Regina ever speaking of her past relationships aside from the man she'd been trying to avoid the night they had met at Jefferson's party.

Emma's eyes widened in fear as she heard rapid footsteps approaching and she scrambled back away from the door as Regina burst inside and shut the door behind her quickly.

"What are you doing here?" Regina asked in a hushed, hurried whisper. "My mother is here, Emma. You need to leave."

"I-I didn't know," Emma stammered as she watched Regina pace the floor. "I just wanted to surprise you, Regina. I thought maybe you'd be home and I—"

"My mother doesn't know about you, about us," Regina said and she smoothed her hands over the black pantsuit she was wearing. "I would tell her, but you don't understand what she's like, Emma."

"Is she…she's against this, isn't she?" Emma asked and Regina scoffed as she continued to pace, her eyes glancing over at the door every couple of seconds. "She doesn't know you're gay, does she?"

"No!"

Emma felt a pang of hurt stab her in the heart, but she didn't understand the relationship that Regina had with her mother nearly enough to let it affect her in such a way. She loved Regina and she would do anything to be with her, even if that meant that her mother never knew about their relationship or her.

"Regina," Emma said gently as she stepped in front of her and placed her hands on tense shoulders, stopping her from pacing erratically. "Hi."

Regina took a moment before she smiled back at Emma and leaned in for a lingering kiss. It didn't last long before Regina stepped away from Emma and opened the door quietly and listened for a moment before shutting it again.

"My mother's presence was a surprise this morning," Regina said quietly. "She came for a visit, completely unannounced. You need to go, Emma, before she comes looking for me and starts asking questions about you."

"Regina…"

"Emma, please," Regina begged her as she grabbed her hips and stared deep into her eyes. Emma could see the fear in her brown eyes, another thing she'd never seen in Regina in the two months they'd been together. "I cannot tell her about us, about you. Not yet. She would disown me and I would be left with absolutely nothing. I cannot just spring this upon her, not like this. I'll need some time to talk to her, to help her understand that I am completely, utterly in love with you and there is nothing she can do to change how I feel about you."

"I just wanted to see you."

"I know, darling, I wanted to see you too and had my mother not decided to arrive here today, coming home to you would have been positively delightful."

"How did you know I was even here?" Emma asked as she wrapped her arms around Regina, smiling as Regina gave in and let her hold her. "Regina?"

"The glass on the counter by the sink," she chuckled quietly. "Your bad habits betray your unprecedented surprises, darling."

Emma knew then that Regina was lost within the spell that they were both under when they were together, the one that pulled them in so deep, so hard, that the rest of the world fell away with just one look, one touch, one kiss. Yet it was short-lived as the sound of heels clacking against the wooden floor in the hallway quickly approached and Regina, with wide eyes, shoved Emma away from her.

"Hide!"

"Where?"

"I don't know!"

Emma could sense the rising panic and she could see the fear in Regina's eyes. She knew they would eventually talk about this, about Regina's mother and why it was so hard for Regina to tell her about the two of them and what they had together. Moving as quickly as she could, she dropped to the floor beside the large bed and pulled herself under it just as the door opened swiftly. From her vantage point she could see another set of feet, clad in equally expensive heels like the ones Regina wore.

"What on earth are you doing?"

"I had to put some things away," Regina replied, her voice not sounding near as strong or sure as it normally did. "I'm sorry, Mother, but do I still have to tell you of everything I am about to do? Do you want a detailed itinerary right down to the second?"

"Oh stop it with your nonsense, Regina. Come back to the kitchen, dear, we still have much to discuss about your father taking on another term in the Mayor's office."

_Mayor?_ Emma was confused but she just kept her breathing quiet while her mind raced with a hundred different questions. Regina's father was a mayor? Why hadn't she known about this before? It made her wonder just how much of Regina's life she still had yet to learn about—and after what had just transpired between them, she wasn't sure she would truly know the woman she'd blindly fell in love with.

"Emma?" Regina hissed as she pulled up the edge of the comforter. "I'm going to distract my mother but you'll only have a minute to slip out without her noticing."

"Okay," Emma said as she crawled out from under the bed. "Regina—"

"I will call you later, love," she said quickly before planting a few featherlight kisses on Emma's lips. "Wait for a minute and then make your exit prompt."

Emma nodded, frowning as she watched Regina quickly depart from the room and she mentally counted the seconds in her head before she slipped out and made a beeline for the door. She paused, just for a brief second, to see Regina and her mother standing out on the balcony, both their backs to her and already deep in what looked like a heated conversation.

With a deep frown, she slipped out the door and ran down the hallway to the elevator. She jabbed repeatedly at the button, willing for it to come instantly instead of having to wait for a few moments and she only let the confused tears slip from her eyes when she was inside and the doors slid shut quietly.

It had been a mistake to come there unannounced. Definitely a mistake she wouldn't be making ever again, no matter what Regina said to her later.

* * *

Emma sat on the bench, watching Henry as he stood knee deep in the water, laughing as he threw pebbles out onto the relatively calm, waveless water. Although the clouds were still dark in the sky, they had yet to open up and douse them with a summer storm. Emma had taken to sitting on the bench, allowing her mind to wander while she kept an eye on Henry and she couldn't help but notice the entire lack of people on the beach even with the dark clouds rolling across the sky. The heat had grown sticky with the humidity and surely they couldn't be the only ones who had the idea of spending the day down at the beach, could they?

With a sigh, Emma checked her phone for the hundredth time in the last two hours. The man at the hardware store said he would contact her once he had found a replacement for the broken window in the cottage, but so far two hours had passed and she hadn't heard from him at all. Emma heard the faintest sound of thunder off in the distance and she stood up from the bench, waving at Henry to get out of the water and to grab his things. He wasn't happy, of course not, but they started to run as big, fat raindrops began to fall from the sky, barely making it to the Bug before it poured.

"So much for a day at the beach, huh?" Henry laughed as Emma pushed back wet strands of hair from her face. "What now, Mom?"

"How about we go get something to eat?"

"Isn't it a little early to be eating dinner?"

"Well, we can't go back to the cottage yet, kid. I'm still waiting to hear about a window, remember?" Emma gently reminded him as she started up the Bug and pulled out of the small, gravel parking lot and out onto the road.

She'd been thinking a lot about Regina—a lot being an understatement since it had pretty much been the only thing on her mind, more so since Regina's little visit that morning. She rather think of the better memories, but slowly and surely, the ones that weren't so happy and loving were starting to trickle to the front of her mind. Like the day with her stupid idea to surprise Regina at her apartment only to end up hiding under the bed and making a quick escape because Regina wasn't ready or didn't want to tell her mother about them. Whatever it was, they never did talk about it, and Emma remembered how withdrawn Regina got every time she tried to so much as bring it up after that day.

Things had started to slowly fall apart after that. Emma could really see it now, many years later, that Regina's mother's surprise visit had triggered something that led to that stupid little fight that led her to run off to one of Jefferson's infamous little parties and ruined her relationship with Regina and completely changed her life in one night.

God, what was she thinking when she wondered if Regina would ever forgive her. If the roles had been reversed, Emma knew how impossible it would be to forgive her. That's exactly what it was, impossible, but it's not like she'd come here looking for Regina and she'd made that pretty clear this morning. Whether Regina believed her or not, that wasn't her problem. Her problem was the fact that she couldn't seem to just let go, to forget what they once had, to forget how much it had hurt to have unintentionally betrayed Regina like that.

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"You okay?"

"I'm fine, kid. Why?"

"Because you've been sitting at this stop sign for like five minutes and the guy that was behind us just flipped you off as he drove around us."

Emma frowned as she made the turn and parked near the front entrance of the diner. Henry jumped out of the car and made a run for the entrance, but Emma sat there, her head still swimming with thoughts of Regina. It was moments like this that she needed her best friend there to talk to, to make sense of the things she was thinking and the feelings she was experiencing all over again.

After a few unsuccessful attempts at trying to call Ruby, her cell service sketchy likely due to the storm, she hopped out of the car and ran inside the diner. She joined Henry in one of the booths and smiled at Belle as she walked over and placed two menus on the table.

"Can I get you anything to start with?"

"Hot cocoa with cinnamon on top, please," Henry smiled politely.

"I'll have the same, thanks," Emma nodded at Belle before scanning over the menu. It was too late for lunch, too early for dinner, but there was no way she was making the drive back to the cottage in case she got the phone call about the window on the way.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and saw she barely even had a signal, it being worse inside the diner than it had been out in her car. Frowning, she left the phone sitting near her on the table as she grabbed the menu from Henry.

"I was reading that, Mom!"

"We're just gonna have some hot cocoa and maybe a slice of pie to share, okay, kid?"

"But I'm hungry."

"Henry," Emma said, her tone shutting him up immediately. "Hey, maybe the rain will let up and we can have s'mores for dinner tonight, yeah?"

"Let's hope so," he mumbled under his breath, but a smile curled over his lips as Belle placed two hot cups of cocoa on the table in front of them. "Does it always rain here like this?" Henry asked her and she laughed quietly with a shake of her head. "Because that's all it's been doing since we got here."

"It's not unusual we have a few days of storms," Belle replied. "But I'm sure that'll change and you'll be able to enjoy your summer out in the sun."

"Let's hope so," Henry said in the same tone he'd said it just a minute before and it made Emma laugh as she ordered them a slice of pumpkin pie to share.

Emma busied herself with her phone, trying in vain to get through to Ruby. When the line refused to ring, she hung up and tried her luck in texting her, getting a response a few minutes later. As she quickly typed up another text, Henry not so subtly kicked her under the table and Emma shot him a warning glare as she hissed in pain.

"What?"

"It's that lady," Henry whispered under his breath. "The one that came over this morning."

"What?" Emma said through gritted teeth as she watched Henry look over her shoulder, his eyes piqued with curiosity. "Is she staring?"

"Yes."

"Well, don't stare at her, kid!"

"What do you want me to do? She's looking at me!"

"Just drink your cocoa," Emma said as she slid out of the booth. "I'll be right back."

Emma turned and saw Regina sitting at a booth by the back door and she marched over to her and crossed her arms over her chest as Regina slowly turned to look up at her. Her heart was hammering in her chest, beating so hard, so fast she could hear it in her head as she stared down at her former lover.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Swan," Regina said, her voice thick and cold as she wrapped her hands around the mug that sat on the table in front of her. "Is there something I can help you with, dear?"

"Can we go somewhere and talk?"

"I'm afraid I have nothing I want to say to you, nor do I wish to hear anything you feel you must say to me," Regina replied, keeping her voice low as a few of the patrons near them now had their attention on the two woman. Regina swallowed hard as she straightened up in the booth, her lips pressed tightly together. It was a look Emma had definitely not forgotten. She was pissed. "Please, Ms. Swan, if you would just kindly return to your seat and enjoy sharing a pie and hot cocoa with your _son_, I'd much like to dine in peace."

Emma shook her head as she sat down in the seat across from Regina and the fire she saw burning in Regina's brown eyes did nothing to deter her. "Eleven years, Regina."

"I'm aware."

"You never let me explain what happened—"

"I cared not then what little pathetic excuses you were willing to come up with for what you put me through," she said quietly, but there was a bite to her voice that made a lump form in Emma's throat. "Just as I care not to listen to them now, either. Now, I am not going to ask you again to leave because if I do, Ms. Swan, I _will_ cause a scene and that, I believe, is the last thing you would want, isn't it?"

Emma clenched her jaw as she slid out of the booth. The hair on the back of her neck was standing as the icy glare Regina gave her made all the wrong kind of chills run down her spine.

_This was definitely a mistake trying to talk to her_, Emma thought as she walked back over to Henry and slinked back into the seat, her back to Regina who she knew had resumed in staring at the two of them as she had been before.

"Who is she, Mom? I know she's not nobody, so who is she?"

"It's a long story, kid."

"One you're never going to tell me, right?"

Emma frowned at the reaching look Henry was giving her. She couldn't keep what she and Regina had from Henry forever, or for much longer from the looks of things. She pinched at the bridge of her nose, making her decision.

"How about I'll tell you on the ride back to the cottage later, okay? Just…no more questions right now, kid."

"Okay."

Emma's brain was spinning with a hundred different thoughts and all she had wanted, for the last eleven years, was the chance to just explain what had really happened to Regina, whether or not she even believed a word she said. She just wanted that chance, to get those words out, to have her hear them and maybe—by some stretch of a miracle—understand that the heartbreak Emma had put her through had been so far from intentional.

And she wanted to tell her, that every time she looked at Henry, despite how much she loved her son, she went through that heartbreak, felt that pain and the guilt every single time.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes: Thank you all for your reviews/follows/faves! I meant to update this on Wednesday, but I'd been so consumed writing this "little" fic, _When Lightning Strikes_, that I totally forgot. Anyway, this is a fairly heavy chapter and I ask that any questions you do have, they will be answered, just not in this one. Please remember to leave a review, thanks :)**

* * *

Hours of waiting for that phone call from the man at the hardware store had ended up with her getting touch with a man named Marco and after some negotiations, she ended up driving back to the cottage with Marco following in his truck, the replacement window safely strapped down in the bed of the truck.

"So, who is that lady, Mom?"

Emma swallowed thickly as she gripped on to the steering wheel. "I don't know where to start."

"The beginning is always a good place to start when you're telling a story."

"Okay," Emma said, nodding as she took a deep breath. "I just graduated high school and I let Ruby talk me into going to this party, but it wasn't—it wasn't the kind of parties I was used to going. The people there, they were older, in college and I knew nobody there but Ruby." Emma paused as she glanced over at Henry and he was staring at her, waiting for her to continue her story. "I met her, Regina, standing in line waiting to use the bathroom and we kind of just…hit it off right away."

"You mean as friends, right?"

"No, Henry, not as friends," Emma said quietly. "Regina and I were never friends, but we were close for a little while."

"If you weren't friends, how could you be—oh," Henry's voice pitched a few octaves as the realization hit him. "She was your girlfriend?"

"For a few months, yeah, and it was really intense and I loved her. She's the first person I ever fell in love with."

"What happened? Why didn't you stay together?"

Emma gripped at the steering wheel harder. She didn't think that far ahead. "Sometimes things happen," Emma said after a moment. "We were happy and in love, but it just…wasn't meant to be, I guess."

"You broke her heart, didn't you?" A statement, not an accusation or even a question.

"Not on purpose."

"Did you try to tell her that?"

"Yeah," Emma sighed sadly. "She wouldn't listen then and she won't listen now. Sometimes, kid, when a heart is broken, it stays broken. Doesn't matter how much time has passed, it's that pain that you feel so deep that keeps you from moving on. You won't get it now, but you will one day when you fall in love."

"And earlier when you tried to talk to her?" Henry asked and Emma nearly missed the turn into the driveway. "She didn't want to listen, did she?"

"No, she didn't."

She could already see the gears turning in her son's head and while she knew whatever he was trying to come up with was paved with good intentions, he didn't know Regina and he didn't understand how broken and betrayed Regina still obviously was over her. What had surprised her more was how well Henry had taken her confession of having been in love with another woman, but then again she'd raised her son to have an open mind and an open heart, so it shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did.

Emma pulled the car to a stop, looking in the review mirror are Marco as he pulled to a stop behind her. She looked over at Henry and smiled just as a few rays of sunshine poked out from the dark clouds that had started to break apart in the sky.

"I have an idea," Henry said as his hand lingered on the door handle.

"I know all about you and your ideas, kid…"

"Hear me out, Mom, please?" Henry asked and Emma nodded as she slipped the key out of the ignition. "What if you wrote her a letter, explaining everything? If she won't listen to you, don't you think she'll at least give a letter a chance?"

"I tried that already. Those letters I wrote and sent to her, kept getting sent back. After a while, I stopped trying."

"Why don't you try again?"

Emma didn't want to tell him about the box of returned and unsent letters she'd wrote to Regina over the years, but she had to smile at the fact he thought that a letter would help Regina understand.

"You always told me never to give up when I want something, Mom. Pretty sure there is a rule somewhere the says you gotta take your own advice too."

"When did you get so smart, kid?"

"Well, I'm your son," Henry chuckled. "Pretty sure I get that from you, Mom."

With that, Henry was out of the car and eager to help Marco unload some tools from the bed of the truck and offered to do whatever he could to help him replace the window upstairs. Henry's idea actually sparked one of her own and after unlocking the cottage and reminding Henry not to get into Marco's way too much, she went back to her car and called Ruby, praying that the two bars she had wouldn't die out on her.

"Hey, Rubes," Emma said when she answered the phone and didn't give Ruby a second to say a word. "I need a really big favour from you."

"Em, I already told you that I don't know when I can get a week off."

"It's not that, not really," Emma said in a rush. "Do you remember those letters I wrote to Regina?"

"What about them?"

"Is there any way you can get that box to me as soon as possible?"

"Em…what's going on?"

Emma sighed as she looked up at Marco on the roof, carefully removing parts of the old broken window from the outside while Henry watched on. She hadn't told Ruby that Regina was there, in Storybrooke and her texts she'd sent earlier had been her mostly begging Ruby to find a way to get her week off work to come and spend it in Storybrooke with her and Henry. She wanted to tell Ruby over the phone about Regina, not through texts. She took a deep breath as she leaned against the hood and sighed loudly.

"Emma, what's going on?"

"Regina is here."

"What?"

"She's here in Storybrooke, Rubes."

"What?!" Ruby's voice nearly deafened her and she held her phone away from her ear slightly, her ears ringing and her heart thumping wildly in her chest. "What do you mean Regina is in Storybrooke? Emma? Did you see her? Did you talk to her?"

"She won't listen to me and she actually paid me a little visit this morning pretty much telling me to get out of her town."

"Her town?"

Emma chuckled dryly as she switched her phone to her other ear. "Yeah, she's like that Mayor of Storybrooke now."

"Impressive."

"That's what I said," Emma said and she sighed as she stared down at her shoes, her black Converse covered in dirt. "So, the box of all those letters I wrote, Ruby? Do you think you can get them to me as soon as possible?"

"Why? What kind of a plan are you trying hatch, Em?"

"One that'll hopefully get Regina to finally listen to me so I can explain myself. Maybe if she just knew, if she just understood what really happened, maybe she won't be so angry with me? Maybe she won't hate me near as much? I don't even know, Rubes. It feels like it's gonna take a miracle just to get her to listen to anything I have to say."

"A huge one."

"You're telling me."

"Okay," Ruby said after a moment of silence between the two of them. "I'll see what I can do about getting that box of letters to you, Em."

"Thank you."

They talked for a little longer before Emma ended the call and checked on Henry and Marco in the room upstairs. Everything was going fine, as Marco had told her and that Henry was a great helper to have. She thought it was sweet how Henry was so eager to please the man, just by doing some simple things like getting him a tool from the toolbox or helping hold the window into the frame while he screwed it in and levelled it out, all the while teaching Henry how to properly install a window.

Emma left them after watching for a little while and she went back to thinking about the box of letters, already knowing there was a pretty big chance that Regina would either throw them out or burn them without ever reading them, but she had to take that chance. If she didn't, she had no other way of getting through to her and even though it'd been such a long time since it all had happened, she had never stopped loving Regina Mills and she and never stopped feeling so utterly guilty for hurting her. All she wanted was closure, because without it, she'd never be able to mend her broken heart.

And she knew somehow, she had to help Regina mend her own broken heart no matter what it took. She couldn't leave Storybrooke at the end of August without having the peace of mind that the woman wasn't still as broken as she'd been all this time.

* * *

They'd been fighting all afternoon, fighting over the stupidest little things too, things that wouldn't matter in a few hours, but in the heat the moment, Emma had stormed out of Regina's apartment, unable to continue arguing with her. She didn't want to say something she'd regret later even though she was sure they both already had.

Emma walked down the busy street after she'd gotten off the subway, anger still bubbling through her as she thought of the stupid things they'd been fighting over. Regina hadn't told her anything about her family, about her past, and it started out with Emma accusing her of keeping important things from her, to Regina telling her there was a reason she didn't tell her parents, especially her mother, about their relationship.

_"You don't know what she's like! If she knows about you, about us, she'll stop at nothing to drive us apart from each other and ruin you in the process. I can't help it that my mother is completely insufferable, Emma!"_

Emma shoved her hands into the front pockets of her jeans as she turned the corner and headed home. She didn't know why it bothered her so much that Regina was essentially keeping their relationship a secret from her family, but it did. She didn't want to feel like she was some dirty little secret, as she had so eloquently said to Regina and that had started off the fight. One thing had turned into another and Emma knew she should've left far earlier than she had.

"Em?" Ruby called out from behind her and she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, feeling fresh tears burning in her eyes. "Em, what are you doing here? I thought you were spending the night at Regina's place?"

"We had a fight," Emma said quietly as Ruby moved to stand in front of her. Her lower lip was trembling as Ruby wrapped her arms tightly around her when the tears started to fall again. "It's all my fault."

"I'm sure it's not," Ruby soothed as she moved them towards the building and away from the bustling crowd of people narrowly avoiding the two of them. "What were you fighting about, Em?"

"Stupid things, Ruby. It's all so stupid! I just left. I couldn't stay. I didn't want to say anything I'm going to end up regretting later. Oh god, what if she hates me?"

"Em?" Ruby said gently as she cupped Emma's face in her hands and used her thumbs to wipe at the tears that continued to fall. "It's just a fight. Couples fight all the time. It's normal, okay? Give it some time for both of you to cool down and call her tomorrow. I'm sure by tomorrow you both are gonna forget what you were fighting about and everything will go back to the way it's been all summer."

"Do you really think so?"

"I know so," Ruby smiled and she kissed Emma on the forehead before moving her hands to her shoulders. "Now, I have a plan. One that'll cheer you up. Maybe?"

"What kind of a plan, Ruby?"

"A party. Jefferson invited me to one and told me to bring some friends. It could be just what you need to perk up your spirits, Em. I hate seeing you so upset."

"I don't know…"

"You've been spending all your time with Regina all summer, Emma. I feel like I never see you anymore," Ruby said with a frown. "Just come with me, have a couple of drinks, dance and have a little bit of fun with me tonight?"

Emma sighed and nodded her head. Maybe a party would pick her spirits up a little bit and maybe a party and a few strong drinks would help her forget the pangs she was feeling in her heart for a few hours. Maybe a party was just what she needed right now to forget the stupid fight she and Regina had…

"What time are we leaving?"

Ruby laughed as she slipped an arm over Emma's shoulders and headed towards their building just down the street. "We'll leave in an hour."

"What about—"

"You leave Granny to me," Ruby grinned and Emma rolled her eyes playfully. Granny was never and would never be a fan of the two of them going to a party where there was copious amounts of alcohol and drugs and older guys—especially when it came to Ruby and Jefferson, or any other older guys that were in college.

Two hours later, Emma was following Ruby down an unfamiliar street. The subway ride had been longer than she thought it'd be and when they got off, they were in a part of the city Emma had never been before. Unlike the last party she went to with Ruby, Ruby was dressed casually in a pair of tiny red shorts and a white tank top and her makeup was rather subtle, even for her. Emma wore what she'd been wearing all day, a pair of cut off jean shorts and a blue tank top and her black Converse that were tightly laced to her feet. They looked every bit like they were still in high school and so out of place in the upscale neighbourhood they were walking through.

"I though you said we were going to Jefferson's?" Emma asked as Ruby came to a stop in front of a duplex. "Doesn't he live a few blocks from here?"

"That's his loft," Ruby replied. "This is his house. This party isn't like the last one, it's going to be much more intimate."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, it's going to be fun."

Emma nodded and followed Ruby up the stone steps and she followed her inside and up to the third floor. Sure enough, unlike the party at the loft three months ago, there were less than thirty people inside the small but spacious apartment on the third floor. The curtains were drawn shut, making the apartment dark aside from the candles that were lit despite the fact the sun was still rather high in the sky. Intimate was definitely the right word to describe the feeling Emma felt the instant they walked in.

Just like at the last party, she felt completely out of her element. The only people she knew was Ruby and Jefferson, the rest were a blur of strange faces of people she'd never seen or met before and if they'd been at the last party, she didn't recognize any of them.

At least this time, Ruby didn't leave her side immediately after they got there and Emma found herself wedged on a small couch that smelled a little musty and like pot, Ruby on one side and a guy named Neal on the other. Emma had been actively engaged in a conversation with Neal, finding him far easier to talk to than most of the other people that were there. He seemed different, too, a bit out of place with the people at Jefferson's and she soon learned that he was a very old friend of Jefferson's and he'd just moved to the city.

While she was engaged in a conversation with Neal, her mind was solely on Regina, but it wasn't the happy thoughts she was thinking of, it was the anger and confusion she still felt that lingered from their fight earlier. Neal was an observant guy and he asked her a few questions about what was bothering her. It took her finishing her first drink before he fetched them both a second before she felt at ease enough to tell him about Regina and the stupid fight they'd had that afternoon.

Emma felt fuzzy and it wasn't that the drink was strong, she did ask Neal to go lightly on the rum he'd mixed in with the Coke and he had. But something didn't feel right.

Flickering lights and blurry lines, that's what caught Emma's attention suddenly and she found herself in a fit of laughter with Neal, not noticing for a while that Ruby was no longer beside her.

Echoing voices drummed in her head, far louder than the music that had been playing. It made her head spin and she continued laughing, grabbing on to Neal's arm as her body jerked and her drink spilled over herself and on Neal. More laughter. More flickering lights and blurry lines, the echo becoming deafening as the room started spinning.

Flashes. That's all she was getting, all she was seeing and feeling.

Flashes of Neal's face, flashes of others as she danced in the middle of the living room.

Flashes of the red solo cup that always seemed to be full no matter how many sips she'd taken.

Flashes of the musty, pot smelling couch.

Flashes of a bathroom and a giggling Ruby as she was pulled out and back to the party.

Flashes of a rooftop and then a pillow, a white pillow that smelled…not too fresh.

Emma groaned loudly as she buried her face into the pillow and the sound of pigeons cooing outside was what made her lift her head. She turned to look at the clock that was on the bedside table, but instead she was facing a wall. Confusion bubbled up inside of her as she pushed herself up a little from the bed and realized, in a rush of panic, that she was not in her own bed and naked. Very naked. And very much not alone in the strange bed as she felt whoever was next to her shift and groan deeply.

"Oh god," Emma's eyes flew open wide as her head pounded painfully. "Oh my god."

"Huh?"

Emma buried her face into the pillow again, squeezing her eyes tight as the tears started to fall. What had happened last night? She couldn't even remember too much, just bursts of flashes and so much time in between them just empty. Blank. She shifted on the bed, the sheets smooth against her damp skin and she felt that burn between her legs, one that told her exactly what had happened and she didn't remember a single second of any of it.

"Oh my god," Emma moaned into the tear soaked pillow. "What did I do? What did I do? Regina…oh god, I'm so sorry."

"Emma?"

_Neal?_

"Emma, what—?"

"Don't touch me!" Emma yelled as soon as Neal placed a hand on her bare back. She shoved him hard away from her, her eyes burning with tears as he scrambled to get out of the bed. "What did you do? What the _hell_ did you do to me?"

"I-I didn't do anything to you," Neal tried, but Emma was furious and hurt and scared.

Emma clenched the sheets to her bare body, squeezing her eyes shut as the tears kept on coming and she didn't open them again until she was sure that Neal was no longer in the bedroom with her. She wiped at her eyes, but the tears didn't stop as she tried to find her clothes. It was a struggle to get dressed, her limbs felt so heavy and her head was spinning. Her heart hurt so much because she knew what had happened, she knew that she'd cheated on Regina and she never meant to!

What the hell was she going to tell Regina?!

Her mind was so fuzzy, so foggy. Every inch of her body felt heavier than normal. It almost felt like she was stuck in a nightmare, but she knew she was wide awake. She clutched at her chest, trying to still her racing heart, but she couldn't calm herself down. She couldn't stop the tears that kept on coming, and she could stop the flood of mixed emotions that weighed her down and made her feel nauseous.

What happened? What did she do?

Her stomach lurched and she clamped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from being sick all over the bedroom floor. Every step she took was uneasy and she braced her hands on the closed bedroom door and shut her eyes tight, the tears falling freely as her mussed hair fell around her face. She had to get out of there. She had to go home. She wanted to shower a thousand times to scrub the dirty, used feeling she could feel all over her body. She wanted to erase what little memory she had of the night before and that morning. She wanted to forget. She wanted it to have never happened. She wanted to go back and choose not to follow Ruby to another one of Jefferson's parties.

It was too late for any of that now.

Emma slipped out of the bedroom and out into the dark living room where dozens of others were sleeping on the couches and the floor. She spotted Ruby and nudged at her with her foot and the instant Ruby saw the tears streaming down her cheeks, she was on her feet and her arms were around Emma tightly.

"Em? What's wrong? What happened?"

"I want to go home."

"Emma?"

"Ruby, I want to go home. Now. Please…"

Neither said a word as they left the apartment and made their way down the street to the nearest subway station. It wasn't until they were halfway home, that Emma broke down again completely, sobbing in Ruby's arms as strangers stared at them in confusion, some with a look of pity, others with a roll of their eyes since Emma knew they both reeked like booze and pot.

"Emma?" Ruby asked gently once they'd snuck inside the apartment without waking Granny up since it was still really early in the morning. "Emma, talk to me, please. What's wrong? What happened last night?"

"I can't remember."

"Can't remember what?"

"Anything, Rubes! I can't remember anything after that second drink!"

"Emma—"

"I woke up in a bed. With Neal."

"What?"

"Naked."

Ruby's eyes went wide as she sat on Emma's bed next to her. "Did you—?"

Emma's lips trembled as her whole body shook and Ruby held her tight, a few tears of her own slipping out as they rocked on the bed together. Emma suddenly felt sick. How did something like that even happen? Was she drugged? Did Neal do this to her or did someone else do it? So many blank memories plagued her mind, but the only thing she could think of now was what was she going to tell Regina?

Emma wasn't sure when she'd fallen asleep, but this time she woke up in her own bed much later that morning, alone. In the bed next to hers, Ruby was yelling on the phone, her skin flushed red in anger as she wouldn't stop yelling at the person on the other end.

"What the fuck, Jefferson? No, you listen to me. Emma was drugged last night. Fucking drugged at your goddamn party and you don't care? Fuck you! My best friend was _raped_ last night and all you have to say is 'what do you want me to do about it?' Jefferson, this happened at your party and if the cops ever found out you'd be—hello? Oh hell no you did not just hang up on me!"

"Ruby…"

"Em, it's okay, I'm gonna find out who did this to you and then I'm going to kill them."

"Ruby…" Emma sighed as she sat up slowly and ran her fingers through her hair. "What am I going to tell Regina?"

Ruby shook her head as she dropped the cordless phone on her bed and sat down next to Emma on hers. "You want to tell her?"

"I have to. I can't not."

"Emma, she's going to hate you for this. She'll probably even blame me for bringing you to that party in the first place! You don't even remember what happened!"

"That doesn't mean I don't have to tell her, Ruby. I cheated on her. Oh god," Emma cried as sobs wracked through her body. "I cheated on her, Ruby. Why did I do that?"

"Emma, it wasn't your fault. Okay? It wasn't your fault…"

Emma became reclusive for the next couple of days, locking herself in her room, only coming out to shower and eat before she crawled back into bed and ignored the countless phone calls from Regina. By the third day, her guilt was literally eating her alive and she knew she couldn't avoid Regina any longer. She had to go and see her, she had to tell her what had happened at the party, even though she barely remembered any of it.

Maybe she'd understand? Maybe she wouldn't hold it against her because she knew, deep in her gut, that she'd been drugged that night. That what happened wasn't her fault, that she didn't even know what she was doing not to mention the fact that she hadn't been in complete control of herself. Maybe Regina would understand…

Or maybe everything would fall apart completely and she'd lose Regina for good. No matter what happened, she couldn't keep this from her. It was killing her inside keeping this from her and avoiding her because she was so afraid to tell Regina what happened.

It took her a while to muster up just enough courage to call Regina early that afternoon, asking her if she could come over and see her. A lump formed in her throat when she heard how happy Regina sounded to hear her voice and told her she'd be home and waiting for her.

Her brain was still feeling foggy, even three days later, and whatever had been involuntarily dumped into her body, the effects still lingered and everything, even her own body felt foreign to her. Every step she took that brought her closer and closer to Regina's door felt heavy and disoriented. The door opened before she even raised a hand to knock and the tears sprung to her eyes as soon as she saw Regina's smiling face.

"Emma?" Regina asked quietly as Emma just stood there with her hands shoved in the back pockets of her jeans. "Emma, what's wrong, darling?"

"I—"

"Come inside," Regina said as her smile faded from her lips. She reached out for Emma and urged her to come inside. She shut the door heavily behind her and wrapped her arms around Emma, kissing over her cheek and lips as Emma made no move to hug her or kiss her back. "Emma, what's wrong?"

"Something happened."

"What?" Regina looked at her, concerned as she checked her over, holding on to her arms as she did. "What happened, love? Are you all right?"

"No."

"Emma, sweetheart, talk to me, please? You're scaring me. What happened?"

"It was a mistake," Emma whispered, her eyes filling with tears instantly. "Oh god, Regina, I'm so sorry. It was a mistake. I didn't—I don't know how it happened."

Regina took a step back from her and raised an eyebrow. Emma shook as she tried to fight her tears, but the look that Regina was giving her scared her. It scared her a lot. She hadn't exactly told Regina what happened, but as she stepped towards her, reaching out for her, Regina shook her head and swatted her hands away, a look of disgust taking place of the worried look that had been there just moments before.

"What happened?" Regina asked slowly. "And don't lie to me, Emma. What happened? What was a mistake?"

"I was at a party the other night, it was right after our fight and—"

"And what?"

Emma's heart was squeezing in her chest. It was just too much. Everything was just too much to handle right now and no matter what she said, everything was going so wrong right in that moment that she could already feel her heart and Regina's breaking, shattering into hundreds of thousands of irreparable pieces.

"What did you do, Emma?"

"Regina, please…it wasn't my fault."

"Tell me what you did, Emma," Regina said through clenched teeth, her voice rising, her tone dangerous. She took a step towards her and Emma backed up towards the door, shaking no longer just because she was upset, but because the fire burning in Regina's eyes was scaring her. "Did you kiss someone else? Fuck someone else at this party?"

"Please…it was a mistake…I didn't know—"

"Didn't know that you willingly spread your legs for someone else?" Regina spat, her voice full of venom and that was all it took for Emma to feel the world, her whole world, crumbling beneath her. "Get. Out."

"Regina, it wasn't like that. I need a minute to explain. I—"

"Explain what? Who was she?"

"I didn't know him before this party and I swear I was only on my second drink when—"

"Get out," Regina said through clenched teeth as she pushed Emma towards the door. "Get out of my apartment, out of my life, and stay out, Emma Swan. I want nothing to do with you ever again. Do you understand me?"

"Regina, please…"

"Get out!" Regina yelled, slamming a palm against the door she'd backed Emma up against, just a few inches shy of her head. "Words cannot express how much I hate you for what you've done to me, how you betrayed me, how you so willingly opened up your legs like a common, filthy whore, and to a man, nonetheless. Get. Out."

"That's not the way it happened!" Emma yelled, but Regina couldn't see past her own anger, her own tears that filled her dark brown eyes as she shoved Emma out of the way and yanked open the door. "Please, Regina, I didn't mean to do this!"

Regina's lips curled into a snarl as she gripped on to the door. Emma reached out for her and they fought, Emma to grab a hold of her, Regina to keep her from touching her. Emma gave up, wiping at her eyes with the backs of her hands as she stumbled out into the hallway.

"I love you," she trembled as she struggled to take a deep breath. "Please, Regina, I love you. Just let me explain—it's not what you think it is. Please—?"

"Give me my keys," Regina said firmly as she thrust out a hand while the other held tightly onto the edge of the door. "Now."

Emma blinked through her tears as she pulled out the keys on its own little keying, the keys to Regina's apartment and she shakily dropped them into Regina's outstretched hand. "I'm so sorry," Emma whispered.

Regina eyed her sharply before slamming the door loudly in her face. Emma stepped forward, gasping as she struggled to breathe and she placed the palms of her hands on the smooth wooden door.

"I'm so sorry, Regina. I love you. Please, I just want you to listen to me. I know I hurt you and I never—I never wanted to hurt you in any way. Please just listen to me…"

Emma wasn't sure how long she stood outside her door until two security guards came to drag her away. She didn't care that they dumped her out onto the street, pushing her hard enough to make her stumble forward and land on her hands and her knees. She didn't care that people stared at her strangely as they passed her in the street and she didn't even care that nobody offered to help her to get up from the dirty sidewalk.

She didn't care because she'd lost the one thing that mattered more than anything in the world to her.

She'd lost the woman who her heart belonged to and all because of a stupid mistake.


	7. Chapter 7

_(Continuation of flashback scene in previous chapter)_

* * *

Two months. Two long, painful months since that day she last saw Regina. The guilt was still eating at her every single second of every single day. After the first week, Regina changed her number, after the first month, Emma couldn't even get into the front door of her building before the two security guards were escorting her away. It had been three weeks since she ran into Neal, her suspicions of being drugged brought to light as Neal told her he'd suffered the same fate as her that night. They weren't the only ones. Neal had told her that he found out three others had their drinks spiked that night without them realizing it, yet none of them knew or ever would know who did that to them. Even learning that, it didn't make anything better. Nothing would ever make anything better.

And it had been two months since she'd had her period and she was terrified, sitting on the edge of the tub with the white stick in her hand, waiting for the lines to appear on the pregnancy test she'd asked Ruby to buy her two days ago.

Two days was how long it took her to muster up the courage to take the test, but after some quick research, she already knew. She was pregnant. Now it was just down to the test that she was so afraid to take.

"Hey, how much longer?" Ruby asked as she stood by the sink and checked her watch. "The box said ten minutes, right?"

"Yeah."

"It's been almost ten minutes."

"Has it? Because it feels like it's been an hour already!" Emma snapped and she closed her eyes, the lump that had been in her throat growing as she waited for either the line to appear or the plus sign. Shaking the stick in her hand, she rose to her feet and swallowed hard as she stared at Ruby. "What if—"

"Then we'll deal with it, okay?"

"Ruby, I'm so scared."

Ruby nodded as she wrapped her arms tightly around Emma and held her tight. "I know, Em, I know. Me too, but I'm always gonna be here for you."

"Granny is going to kill me if I'm pregnant."

"She'll be wicked pissed for a little while, but you're family, Em, and family don't turn their backs just because of something like this. We'll talk to her, explain what happened and if you don't want to keep the baby or if you do, we're going to be there for you. Every step of the way, okay?"

"I'm too scared to look."

"We'll look together," Ruby said with a nod as they stepped out of their tight embrace. Rub gently grabbed on to Emma's right hand, the hand that held the test and they both looked down together. "Oh, Emma…"

Emma dropped the test into the sink, her heart fluttering and racing so wildly out of control she thought she was going to faint or have a heart attack or both. Ruby said nothing as she grabbed on to Emma and they both sank down to the cold, tiled floor. Emma started crying into Ruby's shoulder, so much fear filling her as the positive sign shone behind even her tightly clenched eyelids.

"What am I going to do?" Emma whispered weakly.

"What do you want to do, Em?"

Emma swallowed hard as she lifted her head from Ruby's shoulder. It wasn't even an answer she and to think twice of, despite everything else screaming at her to get rid of the baby before it was too late, before it ruined her life and she ruined his. Or hers. She frowned as Ruby grabbed a kleenex and dabbed at her rosy red and damp cheeks.

"I'm going to keep it."

"Yeah?" Ruby smiled, her own eyes filling with tears. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Even as scared as she was, there was no other right decision. There was no wrong decision either. She was young, heartbroken, scared, and pregnant, but she wasn't alone. She had Ruby and Granny and somehow, she just knew that everything was going to be all right, no matter how complicated and unfathomable the situation she found herself in truly was.

Of course, hours later, when Granny came home to join them for dinner, the reality of the situation was brought down heavily on her by the woman who had taken her in and loved her as if she were her own. Despite her anger, Granny was supportive yet the words she spoke brought light to the gravity of Emma's current situation. Raising a child would not be easy, not even with their help or even Neal's, but Emma had already made her choice when it came to Neal. She didn't want him in her life, she didn't even want him to know she was pregnant, much less having him help her raise a child.

Even after they finished up with dinner, Granny didn't return to the diner to finish out the night, instead calling the assistant manager and telling her she had a bit of a family emergency to attend to. The family emergency consisted of her and Emma sitting alone in the kitchen, discussing just what they were going to do from there on out.

And not once did the name Regina fall upon either of their lips, but it was all Emma could think about. What would Regina say if she found out Emma was pregnant? That she was going to keep the baby despite the unfortunate circumstance that the baby was conceived in? Would she hate her even more, knowing all of this? Emma knew it didn't matter anyway. Regina was gone and out of her life and the only reminder she had of the woman she still loved so deeply was just that, the love that lingered in her broken, shattered heart. Love that would never fade.

Because when it came to true love, it never withered and died.

The next morning, Emma found herself in front of Regina's building with a letter clenched tightly in her hand. She had tried to explain everything in the letter as best as she could and she knew she was taking a chance that she could even get it to Regina, much less expect her to read it, but she had to take that chance.

Surprisingly, this time the security guards were nowhere to be seen and after running into someone that lived into the building, explaining that a friend of hers was expecting her, they let her in without question and she found herself minutes later standing outside of Regina's door, hesitant to knock.

What would she say? Would Regina just slam the door in her face or would she refuse to open it at all? She just wanted to see her, even if those soft brown eyes that she'd spent hours drowning in, were staring at her with such fiery anger. She just wanted to see her. Her heart ached so much for the woman and her emotions were running wild and far more sensitive than she'd ever experienced before.

With a deep breath, she raised a hand and knocked on the door, stepping back as she clutched the letter in her hands. The last couple of letters had been returned to her with a red stamp of "return to sender" on each of them. Maybe Regina just sent them back, hoping she'd take a hint, but she refused to believe that Regina was gone.

"Yes, can I help you?" An older man asked when he opened the door. "Miss?"

"Hi, um, I'm—" Emma looked down the hallway and at the door just behind her to her left to make sure she hadn't knocked on the wrong door. "I'm looking for Regina."

"Ms. Mills?" The man asked and she spotted a flash of blonde hair behind him and he waved the woman off. "Are you a friend?"

"Yes."

"Oh," the man frowned and she could see that sympathetic look in his eyes as he slowly shook his head. "She didn't tell you she was moving?"

"I-I haven't seen her for a while."

"She left nearly a month ago," the man said quietly. "I'm afraid she didn't leave a forwarding address."

"Okay…" Emma gulped as she backed away from the door, willing the tears in her eyes not to fall, but she was powerless to stop them, her emotions running far too high for her to stay in complete control of them. "I'm sorry to have bothered you."

The man just smiled sadly at her before she turned and nearly ran down the hallway to the elevator, tears burning in her eyes as she hit the button repeatedly with one hand, the other crumpling the letter tightly until it felt like the paper was burning.

Gone. Regina was gone. She was really gone and Emma had absolutely no idea where she could be or how she would ever find her. Maybe Regina really meant what she had said, that she wanted her out of her life, that she never wanted to see her or have anything to do with her ever again.

Emma wasn't sure what hurt more, the guilt that weighed heavily in her heart or knowing that she would never see Regina ever again.

She walked home, her feet throbbing after an hour, tears still burning in her eyes, but the walk through the city had given her plenty of time to think. To think about her time with Regina, to think about what had happened at Jefferson's party with Neal, to think about what her life had become and what would possibly happen from there on out.

It wasn't going to be easy, but then again, her whole life had been filled with challenges. Her only comfort was knowing she was strong enough to take whatever life threw her way and that she wasn't alone, she had her family, and soon she'd have a baby of her own, someone who would love her unconditionally for the rest of her life, someone she knew even then that no matter how much time would pass by, she would forever be reminded of how she had loved and lost and still lived through all the guilt and the pain.

* * *

Emma poked at the small bonfire she'd built in the fire pit just off to the side of the cabin. The wood crackled and popped as she flipped the log over and watched the embers rise up in the darkening sky. Henry was sitting on one of the chairs they'd dragged out from inside the cottage, happily munching on one of the few s'mores he'd made for himself.

"Aren't you going to eat yours?"

"I'm not hungry, kid."

Henry frowned, but continued to eat his, the marshmallow dripping from the side and landing on the ground with a soft plop. Emma raised the bottle of beer she had in her hand to her lips and sighed before taking a sip of the warming beverage she'd been nursing for the better part of an hour.

She glanced down at the pad of paper sitting on the ground by her feet. Henry had come up with what he thought was the perfect plan in getting through to Regina, to find a way to get her to listen, to understand. Henry didn't want her to give up and she didn't want to give up either, not even after eleven years. But all she'd managed to do was write Regina's name at the top of the paper and the rest was blank. Where did she start? What did she say that she hadn't said in all those other letters that never reached Regina in the first place?

"What was she like?" Henry asked quietly as he wiped his hands on his shorts. "Regina, what was she like, Mom?"

Emma smiled as she lifted the bottle to her lips and took another sip. "She was just so amazing. I'd never met anyone like her before. She was so kind, so sweet, so loving, so…beautiful."

"She's still beautiful."

"Yeah?" Emma asked with an eyebrow raised and she chuckled. "Yeah, she still is, isn't she?"

"Do you still love her?"

"I do. I never stopped."

"Then write that down," Henry said as he pointed to the pad of paper. "Go on, write it down. Isn't that a good way to start it?"

"You're helping me write this letter now or something, kid? What do you know about love?"

"You love me," Henry smiled. "I know plenty about love. You love me, Ruby loves me, Granny loves me."

Emma sighed and shook her head. "It's not really the same kind of love."

"I know, it's the mushy romantic love," Henry said as he pulled a face and laughed. "I know it's not the same, but it kinda is isn't it?" He pointed down at the pad of paper again and gave her the same look she normally gave him when he had homework to finish that he refused to do. "Write it down, Mom."

"I don't think starting the letter with "I'm still in love with you" is a good idea, kid. When you get older, you'll understand."

"Well, it couldn't hurt."

Emma sighed again and picked up the pad of paper and the pen that lay on the ground next to it. Under Regina's name, she wrote down those words in very small letters, her hand shaking slightly as she lifted the pen from the paper. As she looked down at the paper, she laughed at how ridiculous it made her feel. Regina wouldn't read a letter from her, especially not one that started with her telling her she was still in love with her.

"What's so funny?"

"I don't think I can do this, kid," Emma said as she ripped the paper and crumpled it up, tossing it into the fire. Her eyes stared at it as the flames licked around the white paper before it burned completely.

"Are you just going to give up?"

Emma shook her head no. She just didn't know what she was going to do, not exactly. She did have a plan no thanks to Henry, but a plan that would have to wait until Ruby could get that box of letters to Storybrooke.

"Mom?"

"What?"

"Are you just going to give up?" He asked her again.

"No, kid, I'm not, but I just don't know what to do. She's still pretty pissed at me."

"What did you do to her anyway?"

"I broke her heart, kid."

Henry knew about his father, and not by a choice of her own but because he had snooped and found one of the letters she'd written to Regina. They never talked about Neal and although he was too young to fully understand what he'd read in that letter, he would never know that he was conceived by a night Emma couldn't remember and couldn't forget. Despite Henry's vague knowledge of his father, Emma had vowed from the day she found out she was pregnant to never let her child know that he'd been conceived by a mistake neither of his parents had control over. And she would never tell him that it was because of that night, because of that mistake, she had lost the love of her life over it.

Henry, being her son and as curious as ever, actually didn't ask her why or how she'd broken Regina's heart and for that she was grateful. He went back to eating the other s'more he'd made for himself and Emma picked at the edge of the notebook and tapped the pen on her knee.

"Just be honest," Henry said quietly. "In the letter, Mom? Just be honest."

"Henry, it's not—"

"That simple, I know," he smiled a little at her. "But it can be. You just have to want it to be, Mom. You said you weren't going to give up. Did you change your mind?"

"No," she replied, feeling her own smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "I'm not going to give up, kid."

"Good because you can't. You can't give up on true love."

"What do you know about true love?"

"Nothing," Henry quipped. "But I think it means never giving up and you never stop loving them no matter what."

"Who are you and what did you do with my kid?" Emma laughed as Henry held up his hands in surrender. "It means a lot you're on my side with this, kid."

"I'm your son, I'm supposed to be on your side, Mom."

"Thanks."

"Besides, you've never been with anyone for as long as I can remember. I don't like seeing you sad all the time."

"I'm not sad."

"Yeah, you are," Henry said pointedly. "You don't see it, but I do. I see it every time I look at you, Mom. We all deserve to be happy, don't we? Especially you."

Emma sighed, hating that her son could see that sadness that lingered inside of her all the time and she hated the fact that he was far more wise than she ever gave him credit for. While she had dated casually over the years, men mostly, she never allowed them to meet Henry. None of them were good enough, none of them made her feel that spark, the one she'd felt when she was with Regina. None of them lasted more than a date or two because none of them were _her_.

When the fire started to die down, she had to coax Henry to go to bed. After a bit of an argument, he finally retreated to the bedroom upstairs and she stayed in the kitchen, pulling out a cold beer from the fridge and twisted off the cap. The pad of paper and pen sat on top of the kitchen table, mocking her in the dim light. It took her a whole hour of staring at it before she sat down and put the pen to the paper, knowing exactly what she needed to write.

By the first rays of dawn, Emma had the letter finished, but she was filled with doubts, along with the heavy feeling the lack of sleep had plagued her body with, but it was finished and she had—quite literally—poured her heart out with every word she wrote despite knowing that there was a very high possibility that Regina would never read this letter, whether she delivered it or not.

Glancing at the watch on her wrist, she figured she had a few hours to sleep before Henry would wake up, but despite how tired she was, her mind was racing a mile a minute and no matter how hard she tried to fall asleep on the couch, she lay there wide awake, her eyes trained on the rafters on the ceiling, her mind on all the things she'd written in the letter. Things she'd written before, but it was different now, different because of the years that had passed, different because she'd had eleven years to think about that one night that changed her whole life.

She'd never been more honest in her life than she had been in that letter she spent all night writing. The same letter that she'd sealed in an envelope as soon as she signed her name at the bottom of the third page. The same letter which still sat on top of the wood table in the kitchen next to the empty bottle of beer she'd nursed for hours.

Giving up on the hope to have a few hours to sleep, she sat up on the couch and ran a tired hand through her hair. Outside the birds started to sing as the sky began to lighten with the first rays of dawn. Finding she needed a way to take her mind off of Regina, the letter, and the ones that Ruby would be trying to get to her in Storybrooke, she changed her clothes, putting on a pair of grey sweatpants and paired it with a matching grey tank top. She got her running shoes out of the back of her car and slipped them on, making sure to leave a note for Henry in case he woke up before she returned.

Although she was unfamiliar with the property, she found a trail not too far from the clearing the cottage sat on and she easily fell into a rhythm, focusing only on the sound of her feet hitting the dirt as she ran down the narrow, winding path through the damp forest. The path led to a creek and Emma slowed, panting hard as she watched the sunlight lick at the clear, bubbling water.

What was she doing? When it came to Regina, there was no way she was going to get through to her, to talk to her, to get her to finally listen to all the things she'd been waiting for so long to say. The whole point of her being in Storybrooke for the summer was to get away from her chaotic, stressful life, to recharge, to unwind, to finally relax after years of never taking the opportunity to. This wasn't about Regina, this was about herself, about Henry. It was just a coincidence that Regina was there in Storybrooke. Wasn't it?

A part of her didn't believe it was a coincidence. The longer she watched the water flowing over the smooth black rocks at the bottom of the creek, the more the gears in her head started to turn. Granny had offered her a place to stay for the somewhere, in a town she had lived in long ago before moving to New York City to take care of her granddaughter. Ruby herself had helped Emma in trying to locate Regina for years before Emma finally gave up and Ruby was the only one who knew Regina's last name.

Ruby, she was behind this. All of this. The trip to Storybrooke for the summer knowing it was the one place that Emma would find Regina after all those years. What was the point of any of it? Regina didn't want her there, Regina didn't want to see her or speak to her. So what was the point of any of this?

Emma clenched her jaw tight as she she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and hit the speed dial, fuming as the line began to ring.

"Em, hey! Good news—"

"You knew, didn't you?" Emma snapped as she paced on the dirt trail.

"What?"

"You knew she was here, didn't you, Ruby? And don't lie to me."

Emma panted heavily as she waited for Ruby to answer her and when she was met with silence, she could feel her anger bubbling under her skin and the low growl that slipped past her lips elicited a little yelp from Ruby.

"Ruby?" Emma said firmly. "Did you know that Regina was in Storybrooke?"

"Yes, I knew! But hear me out?" Ruby said in a rush and continued when Emma didn't say anything. "I know you've never stopped loving her, not for one second, Emma. I've spent the last eleven years seeing you with that sadness in your eyes when I know you're thinking about her and I couldn't stand to see you continue to live like that. I started to look for her again, for you and when Granny found out what I was up to, she started to help look for her too."

"Ruby…" Emma pinched at the bridge of her nose, her anger still bristling under her skin. "You lied to me."

"I didn't."

"Yes you did!" Emma yelled into the phone and she started to pace again. "When I told you that Regina was here in Storybrooke, you could've told me then that you already knew and you lied to me, pretending to be oh so shocked—"

"Em, you and I both know that even if you knew Regina was in Storybrooke, you never would've gone there despite how much I know you wanted to find her, to see her again. Your idea about the letters? It might work."

"It might not! She's made it pretty clear that she doesn't want to see or talk to me, Rubes. And wait, did you say that Granny helped you find Regina for me?"

Ruby's laughter sounded through the line and Emma could finally feel her anger starting to subside a little. "I told her what I knew about Regina, which wasn't a whole lot, and as soon as I mentioned her last name, she said she knew exactly who she was. The only daughter of the Mills' family, people who had been running that small little town for as long as she could remember. Yes, we conspired again you when Granny told you all about Storybrooke and the cottage that you're staying in. Yes, we kind of subtly put the idea into you head months ago when you started to not so secretly plan this trip—"

"Months? You've known that Regina was in Storybrooke for months? Are you kidding me right now?"

"Em, listen, I know you're pissed off right now because Granny and I both knew, but can we backtrack a little bit to the part where I told you I have good news?"

"What is it?"

"I'm leaving in an hour."

"Leaving to go where?"

"Storybrooke."

"Ruby, you told me you couldn't get any time off, that's what you told Henry too!"

"Another part of our plan, Em," Ruby chuckled quietly. "All I had to do was wait for you to find Regina, oh and the little fact that Granny made me find a replacement at the diner so I could come to Storybrooke for the summer. It took me a little bit longer than I hoped, but I found the perfect girl to cover my shifts until September."

"You're—"

"Coming to stay with you guys for the rest of the summer."

"Why?"

"Because I want to help you."

"With what? Regina?"

"Exactly, plus you know I miss you and Henry too much. You've been gone for four days and it feels like it's been forever!"

Emma sighed and as thrilled as she was to hear that her best friend was coming there, she was still angry at her for lying, for keeping secrets, for conspiring behind her back to get her to Storybrooke. To Regina.

"How did you figure it out?"

"You know I don't believe in coincidences, Rubes. I was out for a run and started thinking about Regina and how her being here in the same place I came to get away from my life for a little while, couldn't be a coincidence."

"You're a lot smarter than you think you are sometimes, Em."

"Obviously," she chuckled quietly. "So, how long did you think it'd take me to figure it out?"

"I honestly had no idea but I was hoping you would before the end of the week. Granny thought you might go a whole month before you figured out that it wasn't just a coincidence that you ended up taking a little vacation in the same town that Regina lives in. She's a little bit pissed she lost our bet."

"Bet? You two had a bet?" Emma asked incredulously.

"Let's just say it landed me with enough money to buy a car," Ruby said and they laughed together, Emma's anger fluttering away completely. She never could stay angry at Ruby for very long. "I'll see you tonight and Em? Don't tell Henry. I kind of want to surprise him, okay?"

Emma shook her head as she ended the call and slipped her phone back into her pocket. As crazy as it all seemed, she should've known that her best friend had been up to something. When it came to Ruby, she was always up to something, one way or another. With another shake of her head, Emma turned around and headed back down the trail, jogging slowly as she couldn't seem to wipe the smile off of her face.

If things with Regina fell apart, and she knew they likely would, at least she wouldn't have to deal with it alone. It wasn't like she could turn to Henry about this, he was still too young to understand. With Ruby there, it'd be easier to find her way through the pain of her broken heart all over again. And maybe, if she couldn't find a way to get Regina to listen to her, even just for five minutes, that just maybe she could finally find a way to let her go, to learn how to stop loving her and move on with her life.

Henry was awake and eating dry cereal in the living room when she finally got back to the cottage. Her run had left her sweaty and a little icky feeling and she pointed to the stairs and Henry just nodded, scrunching his face as she walked past him.

"Yeah, you definitely do need to shower, Mom. You stink."

"I don't stink!"

"A little bit," Henry chuckled as Emma stuck her tongue out at him. "Mom?"

"What, kid?"

"Can we go exploring later?"

"In town?"

"No, here," Henry replied and Emma nodded. "I'm going to study the map so we don't get lost."

"Okay, kid, I'll be ready in a little while. Why don't you make up some snacks for our little adventure while I shower, okay?"

Emma flashed him a smile before making the quick ascent up the stairs. She knew it'd be hard to keep the secret that Ruby was coming, but she had to because even she wanted to see that smile on his face when Ruby showed up at the cottage later that day. Ruby's impending arrival would also help her keep her mind off of Regina, at least for a few hours.

An hour later they set out to explore the property and Emma let Henry lead the way, the map he'd found clutched tightly in both hands as he marched to the same path she'd discovered on her run. He was excited, that much she could see from the way his eyes shone as he used the map to discover the trail. Before she'd taken her job at the police department, she and Henry had taken many little adventures around the city and until she saw that look of joy on his face, it made her remember how much she had missed doing things like this with her son.

Although her job was important to her, it had run her down pretty fast and not once until that moment since she left the city, had she thought about her job, her coworkers, or even the Chief, and she knew there was more than one reason as to why that was. It all came down to one person.

Regina Mills. The love of her otherwise fucking miserable life.

She had thought of her far more in the last couple of days than she had in a decade. She had thought of their memories, the good and the bad, unable to stop herself from remembering the love she had and lost in such a short span of time. She had thought of all those years she spent with that broken feeling in her heart, unable to pick up the pieces and move on, because she was a woman gripped by love and that grip never seemed to lessen no matter how much time had passed.

"Mom?"

"What, kid?"

"You're thinking about her again, aren't you?" He asked as he stopped on the trail just ahead of her with a knowing smirk on his face. "You get that look."

"What look?"

"You kind of look sad and happy at the same time," he replied and he frowned as Emma shook her head at him. "You're going to fix it, Mom. I know you will."

"I don't even know how I'm gonna do that, Henry."

"I know you'll figure it out. You always do, don't you?"

"You got a lot of faith in me, kid. Maybe too much. This isn't something that's gonna be easy to fix."

"I know," he said gently as he reached out for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, eliciting a small smile from her. "I know it's not easy, Mom, but aren't there some things in life worth fighting for?"

"I really gotta stop letting you watch those romantic and highly inappropriate movies with Ruby when I'm working…"

"You love her. Regina. You love her and you never stopped and you never will. Now you have to fight for her, Mom. You have to win her back."

"Henry…"

"I won't let you give up," he said as he tugged on her hand, continuing their walk down the trail. "Aren't you going to ask me why I won't?"

"Because you love me?"

"Because everyone deserves a happy ending with their one true love, Mom. Even you."

Emma felt the tears burning in her eyes. When did her son become so wise, so grown up? She ruffled his hair and let go of his hand, watching him run ahead and she quickly wiped the tears that had fallen at the words Henry had said. Regina had said something similar, about having their own happy ending together. It was a mix of what Henry said and her memories of Regina that had sparked something deep inside of her. Something that she just couldn't shake.

And then she knew exactly what she was going to do. It'd just have to wait another day or two before she figured out how exactly she was going to get the letters to Regina.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes: So, another update just days later, but I'll let you all in on a little secret. This story passed 100K this weekend and I'm going to try to make a little time every day to edit each chapter as best as I can (even then I miss typos, so forgive me! Personally I'd rather spend my free time writing more more more, but you know...) We're getting closer to the parts I know everyone is waiting for, and trust me when I tell you that it's worth the wait! Please remember to leave a review as they're always much appreciated and make my day so much better (though I doubt anything can top the Morrilla pics from the s4 premiere last night right now lol)**

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Emma smiled as she sat on the front steps of the cottage's porch and watched as Henry went running towards Ruby, practically tackling her before she could get out of her car. Ruby's laughter along with Henry's filled her ears and she couldn't help but smile at the feeling it brought on.

She and Henry had spent most of the day out in the woods exploring and after getting lost for an hour, they finally found their way back to the cottage, both a little worse for the wear after Emma slipped and fell down into a shallow ravine. That had been the end to their exploring for the day and she promised Henry they would try again another day.

"Ruby!" Henry exclaimed as she picked him up and twirled around with him, peppering his face with kisses, her red lipstick leaving marks all over his face. "You're really here!"

"I really am!" She laughed and she put him back down on his feet. "I missed you, kid."

"It's only been four days since we left."

"Four days too many if you ask me."

"Did Mom know you were coming?"

"I asked her to keep it a surprise," Ruby said, looking over at Emma and winking before she popped the trunk of her red sports car. "Do you want to help me bring in my stuff?"

Henry nodded, grabbing the bag he could carry easily and rushed towards the front steps. "Mom, there's only two bedrooms. Where is Ruby sleeping?"

"She can have the other bedroom."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked as she approached them. "I can stay on the couch, Em. It's not a big deal."

"Take her stuff upstairs, Henry."

"Okay, Mom."

Emma sighed as she took a sip of her beer and looked up at Ruby. "It's not a big deal. It's not like I've been sleeping much since we got here. If it makes you feel any better, we can switch up every couple of days?"

"That makes me feel a little better. Not so much about the whole you not sleeping thing, though and you know we're going to have a little talk about that, right?"

"Did you bring it?"

Ruby nodded as she hooked a thumb over her shoulder at the car. "Safely tucked under the backseat. Do you want me to—"

"Not until later. And we'll talk, later. Not with Henry around."

"What did you tell him about her?"

"Just what he needed to know."

Ruby nodded in understanding before walking back to her car to carry a much heavier bag inside. Emma sighed and took another long sip of her beer and leaned against the post, watching the few fluffy white clouds skip across the sky as they caught the colour of the brilliant sunset that had just begun. The corners of her mouth lifted as she heard the laughter coming from inside. She closed her eyes and willed herself not to think of any more memories—good or bad—when it came to Regina and instead tried to stay in the moment and relish in the relieved feeling that had settled inside of her the moment she saw the fancy red sports car come to a stop behind her Bug.

Emma stayed out on the porch, listening to Ruby and Henry inside, Ruby's laughter as Henry described their road trip to Storybrooke in excruciating detail, to the first night they spent in Storybrooke in the yellow Bug, to the storm that came around and nearly flooded the bedroom that Emma had relinquished to Ruby without a second though, right down to the way Regina had been staring at them, more specifically him, in the diner the day before. He didn't fail to mention the food wasn't nearly as good as Granny's and that it shouldn't be called that because it was wrong. He definitely didn't fail to mention that he thought Regina was beautiful and he knew now why his mother had never stopped loving the other woman.

Had they really only been in Storybrooke for three days? It felt like so much longer and Emma wondered if that long drive from New York to Storybrooke was the reason for that. Four days since they left, three in Storybrooke and yet how many times had she thought of home, of work, of her life there aside from Granny and Ruby? Not once. Not unless it included memories of her time with Regina, the good ones and the bad ones.

She wasn't sure when she heard the voices inside die out and she barely flinched as Ruby sat down next to her and placed a cold bottle of beer beside her empty one on the step by her right foot.

"We have a lot of stuff to talk about," Ruby said quietly. "Henry is in bed."

"Did he—"

"I made sure he brushed his teeth, don't worry, Em. In fact I'm a little bit more worried about you."

"Me?"

"I haven't seen you look like that, not since…well, you know…" Ruby trailed off and she shook her head, taking a sip of her beer before continuing. "You have that look in your eyes, Em, the same one you had when you came back after finding out that Regina was gone. I didn't know what to expect when I came here today, but that? That I didn't think I'd see again."

"She hates me, Ruby."

"No, you can't believe that. Hate is such a strong word and—"

"She does," Emma sighed and she twisted the cap off her fresh, cold beer and took a hearty swig. "She wants me out of her town. She told me that. You should've heard the way she talked to me, Ruby. I—god, it killed me to hear her speak to me like that, like I was absolutely nothing to her, that if she could she'd probably just flick her wrist and send me out of town in a cloud of purple smoke or something."

Ruby laughed, but it was short and clipped. "Emma, she doesn't know what she thinks she knows. All you need to do is find a way to talk to her, to get her to listen to you, to finally hear the things you've been wanting to say to her for so long."

"How?"

"Didn't you say you had a plan? With those letters you never did send because you didn't know where she was?"

"A fleeting plan," Emma replied bitterly. "But, I don't know anymore. There's something I do want to know." She paused as she looked at her best friend and even in the darkness, the only light coming from the half moon shining rather brightly in the sky above, she didn't miss that worried look in fierce green eyes she knew too well. "How did you find her?"

"Granny did most of the work, like I told you. She caught me one day, trying to search for Regina while I was at work, caught me huddled behind the counter over her laptop. You know how much she freaks out if any of us even touch that thing. I told her what I was up to and she didn't ask me why, she just asked me if I'd found her."

Emma pressed her lips together as she stared at the woman next to her, her best friend, the woman who had become like a sister to her even long before Granny had taken her in as if she was her own child. She still couldn't believe that Ruby had known for months where Regina was and had left it up to her to find her in Storybrooke herself.

"As soon as I said the name, her full name, Granny snapped her fingers and was doing that thing where she talks a mile a minute, nothing that she says making sense as her brain wraps itself around an idea," Ruby said and they both laughed, knowing all too well of the many times Granny reacted that way over an idea that was put in her head or came to her suddenly. "She started talking about where she'd lived most of her life, of Storybrooke and the family that had run the town here for as long as she could remember and she told me a story about the Mayor's only daughter, a girl named Regina who loved horses and sneaking off to her restaurant to order root beer floats and french fries.

"Then the next thing I know, Granny is on the phone, calling up people she hadn't talked to in what, twenty-two years, asking them about the Mills' family. Turns out, when Regina left eleven years ago, Em, it wasn't just because of you. Her father was sick and her mother requested that she return home at once. Granny found out that her father was sick for a few years before he finally passed and the job, the title he had held, was handed over to Regina by everyone in this town without a second thought. Granny ranted for hours how she couldn't believe a woman like Regina, a young woman with zero experience could run the town she'd grown up in. I don't think I've ever heard her swear so much in my life!"

Emma couldn't help but laugh at that. The only time she'd ever heard Granny swear, was when she, with Ruby for support, told Granny that she was pregnant and how it had happened. The words "I'll fucking kill whoever drugged you. both of you. I'll fucking kill them" rang in her ears then, just thinking them and then it was when a two year old Henry sat in her kitchen, banging wooden spoons on her pots, that she grabbed Emma and dragged her out into the hallway; "If you don't stop him from making that absolutely incredulously unnecessary noise, I will fucking leap out of that window, so help me god, child. Now get him to shut the hell up right this instant or you'll be responsible from my impromptu suicide!" To be fair though, as Emma thought back to that particular day, Granny had been sick for days and yet still agreed to watch Henry while Emma went to her classes at the academy. She'd came back much later than expected to Granny just about to pull her hair out and she couldn't blame her. Henry, even at two years old, was completely stubborn and when told not to do something, he did the complete opposite.

"She had a couple people check it out, make sure it was the same Regina as your Regina," Ruby said, continuing after a few minutes of heavy silence between them. "It took a few days before Granny showed me the email with the newspaper clipping attached to it. As soon as I saw the picture, I knew it was her. She still looked the same as I remembered her."

"Yeah, she does," Emma said, smiling despite trying to control her fluttering emotions.

"Granny and I started talking, you know, shortly after that. About you, about your relationship with her and how we both knew you were still hopelessly in love with her and how sad you always were, especially whenever you thought about her," Ruby said and she frowned before taking a few sips of her beer, watching Emma carefully, waiting for some kind of reaction. One she never got. "When you mentioned that you had been planning for months to take Henry away for the summer, Granny told me that she had subtly put the idea of this town in your head a little while before you told us."

Emma rolled her eyes. "She didn't even tell you, did she? That she put the whole idea of Storybrooke into my head when it kind of slipped into conversation one night about where she'd grown up."

"Not until after you made the choice to go there, to take her up on her offer of coming here, staying at the cottage. If she wasn't my grandmother, I would have slapped her silly for keeping it from me!"

"My hand is feeling a little bit itchy, but I'm suppressing the urge to do just that to you right now, Rubes."

"I deserve it."

"No," Emma said gently. "You don't. Not really."

"If you had known, would you still have come here?"

"You already know the answer to that question."

"Okay, then if you had known _sooner_, would you have—"

"I don't know," Emma said, stopping her from even finishing her question. "I know I would've wanted to, but it's not like I could just stop my life in an instant and drive all the way up here just to see her. It wouldn't have mattered if I came months ago or now. She doesn't want me here, Ruby."

Ruby nodded and leaned up against the post to her right, facing Emma and watching her as she nursed her cold beer. Emma knew she was thinking, she knew Ruby that well that she could see the thoughts flowing through her mind just from the expression on her face alone. She waited until she'd drank nearly half her bottle before reaching out to poke at Ruby's leg with the tip of her shoe.

"What?"

"Tell me."

"Tell you what, Em?"

"Whatever your scheming brain is coming up with right now."

Ruby chuckled as she leaned forward, glaring playfully at Emma in the darkness. "I know where she lives."

"What?"

"And don't you need to know where someone lives to deliver a letter to them?"

"Where are you going with this, Rubes?"

"You asked me to bring the letters, claiming you had a plan, but in reality you don't. But I have a plan because I know where she lives."

"And exactly what are you suggesting I do?"

Ruby chuckled again as she shrugged nonchalantly. "Deliver the letters, one by one, in person."

"Bad idea," Emma replied with a shake of her head. "She'll probably tear it up right in front of me just to make some kind of a point, one she's already told me a few times that she does not want me in her town. In her life. Nothing."

"She says that," Ruby said knowingly. "But, does she really mean it?"

"Ruby, you didn't hear her—"

"No I know I didn't, but one of us has to have a little bit of hope that this whole plan with the letters thing is going to work," Ruby replied and Emma rolled her eyes. "Well, do you have a better plan, Em? Because as far as I can tell, we only got this one and between you and me, we're going to make this work. We're going to get Regina to finally see that she should've listened to you a long time ago."

"And what am I supposed to do? Walk around with these letters? What makes you think I'll even see her the next time I go into town?"

"You've already seen her three times."

"This first time she never talked to me when she saw me. The second time she drove out here to tell me to leave and the third time I approached her at the diner and that obviously didn't end very well."

"Have you met her mother?"

"No, but I did overhear her once when I went to Regina's, the woman sounded like—"

"A complete terror," Ruby finished. "Granny said we gotta watch out for Cora Mills. Apparently she'd fiercely protective of her daughter."

"Controlling would be the word I'd use from the things Regina told me a long time ago about her mother."

"You know what she looks like, don't you?"

"Faintly."

"So, at least we can avoid her if we're trying to get these letters to Regina, right?"

"We?" Emma asked with an eyebrow raised. "And while _we're_ off doing this, who is going to watch Henry?"

Ruby flashed a guilty look at Emma before turning her attention up to the stars in the sky. "I think we really need to come up with a better plan."

"Yeah," Emma said, pausing to take a moment to look up at the stars in the sky as well and after a few long lingering moments, they turned to look at one another again. "Yeah, I got nothing, Rubes."

"Me neither. Except you know, her address," she said quietly as she pulled a folded and crumpled piece of paper out from the back pocket of her skin-tight jeans. She forced Emma to take the paper and she didn't look at it, instead just slipping it into her own pocket. "Come on, just try. At least once, Em?"

"So, what am I going to do? Just show up at her front door and hand her one of the letters?"

"It'd be a start."

"And which one do I even start with, there's dozens of them!"

"The first one you wrote."

Emma sighed heavily. While she'd had a similar plan, the more she thought about it, the more ridiculous she felt about going through with it. They were grown women, each had their own lives separate from one another and despite the fact that Emma still loved her, it didn't mean she had any right to try to…what exactly? Talk to her? Explain what happened eleven years ago? Somehow try to capture Regina's heart again, have her forgive her? To make Regina see what she was missing and fall back in love with her?

_This is ridiculous. I feel like I'm eighteen all over again. How does this woman do this to me, even now?_

For hours they sat outside, watching the stars, talking not just about Regina and the letters, but about what they'd do for the rest of the summer there in Storybrooke. Emma promised she'd take Ruby, with Henry in tow, out for breakfast the next morning, but even when she made that promise, she knew that Ruby was already hoping that somehow they'd run into Regina Mills.

By the time Ruby retreated upstairs to get some sleep, the long drive and the few beers making her far more exhausted than what she was used to, Emma settled down on the couch and listened to the sounds of the crickets chirping outside. She had told Ruby about the intensity of her memories of Regina and then proceeded to ignore Ruby's notions that the intensity of her memories were a sign that she was supposed to come here, that she was supposed to find a way to make Regina forgive her and make her fall in love with her all over again.

Emma shook her head just thinking about that. It was impossible. That woman was impossible and she'd been on the receiving end of her bitter hate one too many times to make her feel enough pain and guilt to last a lifetime.

Yet, despite that pain in her heart, her soul, she started to think about the time she did have with Regina, before everything completely fell apart. All those days and nights, all those loving words and touches, all the smiles that Regina flashed her way that made butterflies take flight in her stomach each and every single time.

Just like they were now as she thought about the woman she had never stop loving, never stopped dreaming about, never stopped wishing that she could take back everything that had happened just so they could find their happy ending together.

Wishing was useless. Emma knew that after a lifetime of making wishes that never came true. Wishing for a real family, wishing her parents would come back for her, wishing for true love, wishing she never hurt the woman she'd found that love with, wishing for a hundred different things and none of them coming true. Wishing was entirely pointless, a useless sense of false hope, but it still didn't stop her from making one last wish before she succumbed to the pull of sleep.

By morning and a rather dreamless sleep, Emma woke up with a stiff neck and to the sounds of Ruby and Henry in the kitchen. She glanced at her watch and groaned quietly, not realizing she'd slept for so long when it felt like she'd only just fallen asleep. She couldn't ignore the humidity that clung heavy in the air and made her clothes she'd fallen asleep in stick to her skin as she stretched out her sore body.

"Hey, you're finally awake," Henry said as soon as Emma had sat up on the couch.

"Yeah. Guess I am."

Ruby brought her a hot cup of coffee and waited until she shifted further down on the couch before she sat down beside her. "You know, that bed is big enough we could share it. You didn't look too comfortable sleeping on this couch and it wouldn't be the first time we've had to share a bed."

"Rubes, the couch is fine."

"No, it's not," Ruby said with a frown. "Come on, Em, what's the big deal?"

"We're grown women now, not a couple of teenagers sharing a bed because it was either that or one of us slept on the floor until Granny had bought another bed for me."

"What's bugging you?"

"Nothing," Emma replied as she held her coffee between her hands. "I just slept weird, that's all. It's nothing. Now, can you just drop it, please?"

"I like your car, Ruby," Henry said as he joined them holding a glass of orange juice. He made a point in sitting on the couch between them and smiled at both of them. "How much was your bet?"

"How do you know about the bet, kid?" Emma asked him as she playfully poked him in the shoulder. "Ruby, you _told_ him?"

"Might've," she shrugged, grinning as she leaned forward to place her cup of coffee on the coffee table. "Let's just say it was enough for me to get the car."

"How much did that car cost you anyway?" Emma asked her, wishing they'd had this conversation the night before and not with Henry sitting between them. "Ruby, that care practically looks brand new!"

"It is," she replied, still grinning. "Relax, Em, I've been saving up for years and the bet gave me just enough to pay for the rest of it, okay?"

"How much?" Henry asked. "A hundred dollars?"

"Times that by about ten."

"Ten hundred dollars?" Henry asked, his face scrunched up as Emma's eyes flew open wide. "A thousand?"

"Yeah, a thousand," Ruby nodded and she took in Emma's expression on her face and couldn't stop the laugh that flew out. "Oh come on, Em, Granny thought she'd win! It was supposed to be a joke, you know? I got to tell you I was really surprised when she handed the money over the other day when I told her you'd figured out our little scheme to get you to Storybrooke and to find Regina."

"We're here because you wanted Mom to find Regina?" Henry asked.

"Yes."

"No!" Emma said over Ruby and she ignored the look that Henry gave her, the same look he always gave her when she tried to lie. He got that from her, she knew that and despite that, she hated it when he gave her that look. "Henry, go upstairs and get dressed. We're going to the Diner for breakfast."

"But, Mom—"

"Now," she said, her voice stern yet shaky as she lifted a hand to point a finger to the stairs. She glared at him, making sure she meant business and she couldn't watch him as he stormed off, grumbling under his breath as his feet trudged up the stairs loudly.

"What was that for, Em?"

"Nothing," Emma groaned quietly as she lifted the mug to her lips and took a sip. "Why did you tell him that, Ruby? You know why I came here! I didn't know you and Granny were conspiring behind my back to get me to come here because you knew _she_ was here!"

"Emma, it's okay, I know you're mad—"

"Mad? I'm fucking pissed off that you lied to me!"

"It was more of a secret than a lie, Em."

"Same difference!" Emma nearly shouted, but she kept her voice down, not wanting Henry to see or hear just how angry she was feeling that morning. Angry and confused and hurt and upset. "I don't know what difference me being here is going to make. I don't even know what difference giving her these letters is going to make. It's been eleven years and she fucking hates me, Ruby. She made that point all too clear the other day and I really don't think I can take another round of her hate-filled remarks and rejection again. It just…hurts too much."

"She can't stay mad at you forever."

"She still is. Might as well be forever."

"Are you giving up?"

"No!" Emma groaned and she placed her mug on the coffee table. "Yes. Maybe, god I don't even know! Ever since I saw her that afternoon, I can't get her out of my head. I can't just forget about her. Just being near her again, seeing her, it's driving me crazy!"

"Clearly," Ruby muttered under her breath and she dodged out of the way of a playful slap to her shoulder. "Look, I know you too well. I know that if you don't at least try to get through to her before the end of the summer, you're going to regret it. If it doesn't work, then maybe you'll finally be able to move on, Em? Did you ever think about that?"

"I…" Emma faltered as she stared at her best friend. "You're right."

"Now go upstairs and shower and get dressed," Ruby said with a wide smile. "And make sure you wear something that makes you look smoking hot!"

"Ruby—"

"Come on, Em! Just put a little bit of effort into making yourself look damn good so when you show up on her doorstep, there's no way she's going to slam that door in your face, at least not for that minute you completely take her breath away."

Emma rolled her eyes at the unbelievable feeling that filled her. It was like they were teenagers again with the way they were acting and the way she was feeling. It'd been a long time since she'd felt like that and it was ridiculous. She was a grown woman, with a career and a son. She couldn't be feeling like some lovesick teenager trying to get her crush to notice her, because that's exactly what it felt like she was trying to do.

Yet it didn't stop her from dressing in her best, which wasn't a far cry from her usual wardrobe outside of work. A pair of black skinny jeans, which she knew she'd regret because of the increasing humidity outside, and a simple white tank top paired with her Converse sneakers. As she dried her hair with the towel, she stared at her reflection in the mirror and let out a soft laugh. This was the Emma that Regina had known years ago, and although she had filled out a little bit more and she looked older, she was still that Emma deep down and on the surface too, apparently, after realizing she'd chose that specific outfit because it was the way Regina remembered her.

"Em, really?" Ruby asked as she appeared in the open doorway of the bathroom. "It's like we just travelled back in time. Are you serious?"

"Well, I didn't exactly pack anything _nice_ because I didn't know you two had secretly schemed to get me to come to Storybrooke because _she's_ here."

Ruby held her hands up as she laughed softly. "It's okay, Em, I got to hand it to you, you do look hot right now. Did you bring any makeup?"

"Since when do I wear makeup?"

"Not even some eyeliner?"

"Ruby, you're pushing it."

"Pushing what?"

"The boundaries of what I'm comfortable with," Emma replied with a slight roll of her eyes. She ran her fingers through her damp hair as she turned to face Ruby instead of staring at her in the reflection of the mirror. She'd had been thinking while she showered and got ready, that maybe she might catch Regina at home. It was still early and there was no way she would leave the house before nine to get to the town hall where her office was. "I've been thinking."

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you take Henry in your car and I'll meet you two at the Diner. He can tell you where it is, although you definitely can't miss it."

"What are you planning, Em?"

"I'm going to do it," she said simply. "I'm going to knock on her door and…"

"And what?"

"Wing it?" Emma shrugged and Ruby laughed as she practically pranced towards her and flung her arms tight around Emma's neck. "No matter what happens, I will meet you two for breakfast, okay? Give me about a twenty minute head start and whatever you do, please don't tell Henry what I'm up to, okay?"

"You know he won't leave it alone until I tell him."

"Just…stall him for twenty minutes, please?" Emma asked and she slipped out of Ruby's tight hold, but only after she finally hugged her back. "I'll see you later."

Emma skipped down the stairs and grabbed the box of letters to Regina, flipping through the many envelopes until she found the first one she'd written to her, still sealed and slightly crumpled, the envelope slightly fading from white to yellow with age. She folded it carefully and slipped it in her back pocket before grabbing her wallet and her keys. With no sign of Henry around to see her slip out, she headed to her car and managed a tight turn on the gravel driveway.

Her heart was racing as she gripped on to the steering wheel and headed into town. In her other back pocket she had Regina's address that Ruby had given her and with some manoeuvring, she managed to pull the paper out as she sat at a stop sign just before Main Street. She checked the time on her watch, nearly ten to nine and the streets were already filling up with cars and people heading out to start their day.

Chewing on her bottom lip, Emma drove through a few streets before finding the one she was looking for. Five to nine, she groaned as she checked her watch again and hoped her suspicions were right when it came to Regina not leaving for work before nine. Maybe she'd just catch her on her way out? Or maybe, with the luck she had, she'd just miss her and could leave the letter in the mailbox and join Ruby and Henry at the Diner for breakfast and worry about Regina later.

She drove down Mifflin Street slowly, watching the numbers until she came to a stop in front of 108. Regina's black Mercedes was still parked in the driveway and there was no sign of the brunette anywhere. Emma put the Bug into park and slipped the keys out of the ignition, gripping on to the steering wheel tightly before she gathered up the nerve to get out of the car.

Emma walked along the sidewalk, looking up at the hedges that without a doubt hid her from being seen until she reached the gate. It squeaked quietly as she pushed it open and she didn't falter as she walked up the path and up the few steps to the front door. Her finger hovered over the doorbell and instead she curled her fingers into a fist and knocked three solid times.

All the worst case scenarios played out in her mind in the seconds that passed before she heard the lock click open. A hard slap to the face. More hateful words spat at her. Maybe even a call to the Sheriff's station to haul her away and kick her out of town, complete with a restraining order of sorts. The worst of it all would be to have Regina slam the door in her face, she decided just as the door made a soft click as it was opened slowly.

As Regina came into view, wearing a rather modest looking grey dress and black heels, Emma couldn't stop the smile despite herself as she looked into surprised brown eyes. Eyes that went from soft to angry in a matter of seconds as Regina realized who was standing on her front porch.

Emma scrambled to pull the letter out of her back pocket and she held it towards Regina, her eyes pleading as Regina glanced down at it, a wave of disgust and confusion marring her otherwise stoic features.

"Please, just read it, that's all I'm asking, Regina," Emma said quietly, waving the letter at her. "Please?"

"Why would I do anything of the sort?" Regina asked as she snatched the letter from Emma's hand quickly. "I told you. I care not to listen to whatever pathetic little explanation you've cooked up in that head of yours, dear. Now," she said as she made excruciatingly slow work of tearing up the envelope right in front of Emma. "Get off my property, Ms. Swan."

Emma stumbled back as Regina let the pieces of the letter fall to the ground and her heart clenched in her chest as Regina turned and slammed the door loudly behind her. Emma felt the tears burn in her eyes for a moment before she shook her head.

She hadn't expected anything else from the woman who's heart she'd broken. Why on earth would she have expected her to take the letter and read it?

She should've known that was exactly what Regina Mills would do. Rip it up to pieces in front of her, reminding her of the state both their broken hearts were still very much in.


	9. Chapter 9

Emma didn't make the same mistake again. For the next two days, she delivered more letters to Regina's house, dropping them in the mailbox when she wasn't home. She didn't care if every single one was ripped up because every single one she dropped in that mailbox made her heart feel just a little lighter, like she was letting go of whatever grip Regina still had on her after all these years.

Ruby had been the one that encouraged her to keep delivering the letters after her first failed attempt in trying to get through to Regina. And so she had, every day for the next full week, she delivered all but one, the one she was saving for last was the one she'd written on her third night in Storybrooke.

She hadn't seen Regina since that day a week ago when she showed up at her door to hand deliver the first letter personally to her. She hadn't seen her around town, at the Diner, any of the stores, and that alone didn't surprise her, yet it didn't stop her from spending time in Storybrooke with Henry and Ruby, all three of them falling in love with the quaint little town and its residents almost instantly.

Every morning, after Emma had waited until she saw Regina leave her house and delivered a letter, she'd join Ruby and Henry for breakfast at the Diner before they either spent the day down at the beach or exploring the woods around the cottage. It wasn't like there was anything else to really do in the town, but the three of them had found ways to pass the time and sharing more than a few laughs and memories along the way.

Emma pulled up in front of the Diner, parking in her usual spot. Her hands were shaking slightly, the last letter meant to be delivered at some point that day. She had it safely tucked in the back pocket of the same jeans she wore the day she showed up at Regina's house the first time. Ruby's car, she had seen parked down the street a little ways and she knew that they were waiting for her in the Diner to have breakfast.

_It was twenty to nine and when Emma pulled up in front of 108 Mifflin Street, she knew Regina was still home. Her car was still parked in the driveway. It was the first time she showed up while she was still home since that day last week when she had to stand there and watch Regina rip up that first letter and slam the door in her face. Could she really put herself through that again? Emma wasn't sure she could._

_And so she sat there for the next twenty minutes with the windows down, the car idling as she kept her foot on the break, her hands itching to slide it into park instead of feeling like she could flee at any given moment. As soon as she heard the sound of high heels against pavement, clacking rhythmically as Regina walked out to her car, her heart started to race wildly and her eyes were trained on the review mirror, watching as Regina backed the black Mercedes out of the driveway._

_Emma held her breath, knowing she'd missed her chance to give Regina that last letter, at least the one chance she had that day. She gripped on to the steering wheel tightly, watching as Regina drove past her and made a left turn at the end of the street. _

She sighed as she thought back to what had happened nearly ten minutes before and yet, Emma sat in her car, her hands gripping at the wheel as she stared at the street ahead. Regina had literally seemed to fall off the face of the earth in the past week, or at least from Storybrooke and Emma feared that maybe she had left just so she wouldn't have to see her again. Catching her leaving for work earlier had proven that she was still very much in Storybrooke, just avoiding being seen while Emma was anywhere in town. With a shake of her head, she got out of the car and headed inside the Diner and she spotted Ruby and Henry sitting in what had become their usual booth, both of them talking and laughing quietly while they waited for her to join them.

"Hey, Em," Ruby smiled, one that faltered as soon as Emma sat down in the booth next to Henry. "You didn't…?"

"No," she replied with a shake of her head. "I sat outside her house for twenty minutes then I drove here."

"You didn't do it, Mom?"

"No, kid. I didn't give her the letter."

"Did she see you?" Ruby whispered and Emma half nodded, half shrugged.

"She drove past me, didn't even slow down or glance at me once so I'm not too sure."

"Mom, you _have_ to give her the letter!"

"I will, just not—"

"It's supposed to be today," he said with a frown. "You promised that you'd give it to her today!"

"Look, kid, it's not that easy just to walk up to her and hand her a letter she isn't gonna read. I put everything into this one," she said as she took the carefully folded letter out of her back pocket and placed it on the table in front of her. "I want to make sure that if she's going to read any of them that this is the one she reads out of all of them, okay?"

"What can I get you guys today? The usual?" Belle asked sweetly as she approached their booth. "With extra syrup on yours again, Henry?"

"Yep," he beamed as he smiled up at the brunette.

The three of them had been avoiding the eggs at the Diner, opting on apple pancakes or freshly made cinnamon waffles. Belle, of course had been humiliated by Ruby's reaction to the eggs, the same one that Henry had the first time they ate breakfast at the Diner, but the woman had taken no offence once she learned who Ruby was and promised she'd find a way to get the cook to make the eggs the proper way in the future. Belle even took lightly to the teasing Ruby put her through about not changing the name of the diner after all these years.

To say they'd somehow managed to become a part of life in Storybrooke in a week was something none of them had expected, but it was different than the city. Even complete strangers would say hello in passing, something that had unnerved the three of them at first, but they'd all grown used to it but the end of the first week.

"Emma?" Belle asked and Emma turned to look at her. "Are you having your usual today or are you brave enough to try the eggs again?"

"I'll just have a coffee, Belle, thanks."

"Aren't you hungry, Mom?"

"Not right now, kid. I'll get something later."

"Hey, Henry, why don't you grab the paper from that box outside for us?" Ruby said as she handed him a few coins and motioned for him to go. As soon as he was out the door, Ruby leaned forward a little and raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at her. "Why'd you really chicken out, Em?"

"I don't think I could've gone through it again."

"The ripping up the letter in front of you and slamming the door in your face again?"

"That and the fact that she looked at me like I was nothing. Absolutely nothing, Ruby."

"That's not true, Em. No. You can't let yourself believe that, not for one second, okay?" Ruby sighed as she shook her head at her best friend. "I only know her from the things you've told me and from what you told me, Em, this woman was your everything. I know it wasn't easy to fight for her when you didn't know where she is, but she's here in this town and you're freaking chickening out just because she gave you the cold shoulder a few times? The Emma Swan I know wouldn't give up because she's feeling like a little chicken shi-i-hey, Henry," Ruby stuttered out of the curse word as Henry plopped back down in the seat next to Emma.

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," Emma said sharply as she watched him shrug his shoulders and play the Storybrooke Mirror on the table in front of him.

"Ruby is right, Mom. You're being a little too chicken shit about this letter thing."

"Henry!"

"What?"

Emma groaned as she stared at the letter sitting in front of her and idly traced over the edge of the white envelope. Before she could grab it, Henry had a hold of it and was bolting out the door of the Diner. Emma blinked in a panic and rushed after him with Ruby hot on her heels. She reached the sidewalk and looked up and down the street, her heart racing out of control when she couldn't see Henry anywhere.

"What the hell is he thinking?" Emma asked Ruby as she clutched at her white t-shirt just over her heart. "Henry!"

"Em—"

"No, don't, Ruby. Whatever he has in his head right now is not going to make anything better. It's going to make it _worse_!"

Emma glanced down the street to the right, spotting the back of Henry's head as he marched down the sidewalk like a kid with a mission. He had a mission all right and Emma needed to stop him. Panic filled her when she saw Regina get out of her car and Henry was only a few feet away from her.

"Oh shit," she groaned under her breath and started to jog down the street, dodging cars as she crossed to the other side. "Jesus, kid, what do you think you're doing?"

"Madam Mayor?"

"Henry, don't you dare," she said under her breath as she heard him call out for Regina.

"What can I do for you, dear?"

"I know you don't know me, but there's something I need you to have, something I think you should read," Henry said and Emma came to a stop nearly ten feet away as she watched Regina take the offered envelope from Henry. "Please, read it? I think it's important that you do."

Emma swallowed thickly as Regina smiled down at Henry, nodding her head slowly as she tucked the envelope in her purse. Seconds passed before Regina looked past Henry and straight at Emma, her lips curling into that same cold smile she'd seen the first time she saw Regina in the street before she patted Henry gingerly on the head and sent him on his way.

"Go on now, dear, I'm sure your mother doesn't appreciate you running off to speak to strangers and giving them letters that don't belong to you."

"You'll read it though, won't you?" Henry asked as he started to back away. "Please, Regina? She—"

Emma clamped a hand around his mouth, her eyes wide in shock as Regina smoothed her hands down the navy blue dress she wore. She raised an eyebrow at Emma before turning and walking down to a doorway just a few buildings down from where she'd parked her car.

"Henry, what do you think you're doing?" Emma asked him incredulously as she spun him around to look at her. "You're in some serious trouble, kid."

"She didn't rip it up, Mom!"

"I doubt she'd do that in front of some innocent little kid she doesn't know. What were you thinking running out there like that?"

"I saw her when I was getting the paper, Mom, and if you are too scared to give it to her, I thought I'd do it for you!"

"Get back inside, Henry," Emma snapped at him and she groaned loudly as she ran her fingers through her hair.

She was angry, very angry with him for doing that, for pulling that little stunt. She grabbed onto the sleeve of his blue t-shirt and led him across the street, ignoring the obvious stares from the people walking by as she practically dragged him back into the Diner.

"Sit down."

"I'm not a dog," he muttered under his breath and she started seeing red. "Sorry," he muttered lowly as he kept his head low as he slid into the booth.

"Henry, what were you thinking?" Ruby asked. "You shouldn't have done that."

"I'm sorry okay!"

His voice pitched an octave higher than Emma would've liked, the other patrons in the Diner shooting looks their way in an instant. She felt her cheeks flush as Belle brought Ruby and Henry's breakfast orders over to the table.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he frowned as soon as Belle walked away from the booth. "I just want you to be happy. Really happy, like in a way I've never seen you before. I heard you and Ruby talking and when I saw her I knew I had to give her the letter because you're being too chicken…" He trailed off at Emma's angry, pointed look and frowned deeply, tears welling up in his eyes as he stared hopelessly at his mother. "I'm sorry."

Emma sighed as she slipped an arm over his shoulders and dropped a heavy kiss on top of his head. "You were just trying to help, I know, kid, but a little warning next time before you just run out like that, okay?"

"Did she take it?" Ruby asked quietly. Emma simply just nodded her head as Belle came back to serve her her coffee. "Did she, you know, rip it up?"

"Not in front of him, no, but knowing her, she's probably doing it now."

"Maybe she isn't," Henry piped up, offering an encouraging smile that brightened Emma's heart and made the day just that little bit better without fail, just like that smile of his usually did. "Come on, maybe this time it'll be different because _I_ gave it to her?"

"Why would that make any difference, kid?"

"Because she doesn't know me and she was nice to me!"

Emma frowned and kissed the top of his head again, leaving her arm around his shoulders as he leaned forward to eat his apple pancakes, something he'd definitely taking a fond liking to since Belle first served them to him the first morning after Ruby's arrival in Storybrooke.

She hadn't thought of a happier memory with Regina in a few days, finding it easier to push them deep down inside the furthest place in her mind while she followed through on what turned out to be a stupid plan with the letters Regina obviously didn't read.

Henry had been trying to the last few days to get Emma to try the apple pancakes and today was no exception as he stabbed a small piece and offered it to her, the syrup dripping slowly down the piece of pancake and over the fork and down onto the plate. At the first taste, she didn't mean to let the moan slip out, but it had.

The pancakes tasted like a memory, a memory she'd almost forgotten since it blurred with the rest of the ones she had of Regina.

* * *

"Oh my god, that's the best thing I've ever had in my mouth," Emma moaned as she lifted the fork full of pancakes and took another mouthful in greedily. "I swear, Regina, I've never tasted anything this good in my life."

"You're just saying that because I finally gave in and cooked you breakfast instead of ordering in like we usually do," Regina smiled from where she lay on the mess, the sheets and the fluffy white duvet cover crumpled all around them. Emma took another bite, moaning at the taste of the best pancakes she'd ever had in her life, apple flavoured with no surprise and she didn't miss the way Regina crawled catlike across the bed towards her. "And I'm pretty sure that's not true."

"I think it is."

"So, I'm not the best thing you've ever had in your mouth then?" She asked coyly as she moved to lay next to where Emma was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed. Emma swallowed the last mouthful hard, almost choking on the pancakes as she watched Regina trail a slender finger over her own bare chest. "Hmm? Darling?"

"Okay, second best."

"Me or the pancakes, dear?"

"Wait, what?"

"What is the best thing?" Regina asked, moving her finger lower, down her flat stomach. Emma couldn't take her eyes off that finger. "And what is the second best thing?"

"Is this a trick question?" Emma asked, moving to place the empty plate on the floor near the foot of the bed. "Because I really suck at these kind of questions."

"Hmm, you do?" Regina's grin was dangerously sexy and Emma could only just nod her head, her eyes locked on the single finger that trailed just below Regina's navel.

Emma was really happy Regina had decided to slip out of her robe after bringing her breakfast in bed. Extremely happy and extremely sated in more ways than one and quickly becoming turned on despite their rather long night of making love until the sun finally rose in the warm August morning sky.

"Darling?"

"Y-yeah?" Emma asked, tearing her eyes from the finger that was slowly making a descent down into the apex of Regina's closed thighs.

"Aren't you going to answer the question?"

"What q-question?" Emma squeaked, her lips suddenly dry as she met brown eyes and the sound of Regina's soft laugh filled her ears. "Regina?"

"Yes, darling?"

"You know I can't think clearly when you're distracting me like this."

Regina chuckled as she pulled Emma to lay down on her side and she nuzzled her nose against hers before kissing her softly. They both smiled against each others lips before Emma leaned back and took in the sight of her breathtakingly beautiful girlfriend. She knew Regina was still waiting for her to answer her question and even as distracted as she'd become, Emma was purposely delaying herself from answering.

With a mischievous smirk, Emma moved towards the foot of the bed and grabbed the little jar of syrup off the tray and moved to sit by Regina's legs. The syrup had been heated up before and it was still a little bit warm and Emma tested just how warm and delicious it was by dipping a single finger inside and lifting it to her lips. She moaned at the sweet taste as she glanced down at Regina's nude body laid out next to her, Regina's fingertips still trailing over her lower abdomen. When their eyes locked again, they both shared a knowing look between them and it was almost as if Regina was silently daring Emma to pour a little syrup on her and lick it off of her skin.

"Emma…are you going to answer my question now?"

"Hmm?" Emma asked, still grinning as she moved to straddle Regina's hips, her skin barely touching Regina's as she let the small jar of syrup over over breasts.

Regina bit her bottom lip as she watched Emma pour a small amount of the syrup on her left breast before quickly ducking her head down to lick it off her equally sweet tasting skin. They both moaned as Emma leaned back a little and poured a little more on her right breast while Regina pushed her long blonde hair back away from her face, her fingers dancing over her shoulder lightly, drawing out another soft moan from Emma before she licked the syrup from her skin again, her mouth hovering over a hardening nipple as she breathed over it, watching it rise under her longing gaze.

Moving to kneel between Regina's legs as she spread them for her, Emma glanced inside the jar. There wasn't too much left and she'd have to be both creative and careful with how she used what was left and so far Regina hadn't protested against her pouring the cooling syrup on her body and licking it off. In fact, from the lustful, hungry look in Regina's eyes, she was enjoying it far more than Emma had thought she would when she came up with the idea in the heat of the moment.

Emma poured a thin line down Regina's stomach, letting a little bit pool into the depths of her navel and ending it just above her pubic bone. She gripped on to the small jaw as she ducked her head down, dragging the flat of her tongue upwards before wrapping her lips around soft skin and sucking the little bit of syrup pooled in her bellybutton. She licked the rest, slowly, her eyes locking with Regina's before she moved to lay between her legs.

"I think…" Emma said softly as she dipped a finger inside the jar and trailed her syrup covered fingertip over Regina's pussy, dipping the tip just inside of her before she found her breath hitching in her throat. "That you are the best thing I've ever had in my mouth," she continued, sucking in a deep breath as she leaned forward, licking away the syrup, the sweet taste of it mixing with the taste of Regina. "And that, is the second best thing I've ever had in my mouth."

Regina moaned as her back arched up off the bed slightly and she took the nearly empty jaw from Emma as she spread her legs wider, rolling her hips as she quietly begged her for more.

"And the pancakes?" Emma said as she looked up at Regina's face, grinning when she saw Regina practically panting as she used fingers to deftly tease over her, barely touching, skin dragging against sticky skin, creating a whole new host of sensations in Regina's body. "They most definitely come in to a close second. Is that the answer you were hoping for?"

"Yes," Regina gasped as Emma slid a singer finger inside her, not taking her eyes away from Regina's. "Definitely the best answer, my love."

Emma grinned, pleased with herself that Regina hadn't protested against her using the sticky sweet syrup on her body for both their pleasure. They'd done a lot of things, but for the most part their bedroom activities were mostly vanilla with a very small side of kink—a scarf one time that Regina had used to tie Emma's hands to the headboard while they were in Boston a few weeks ago.

Pleased with herself, Emma grinned as she continued to tease Regina with her fingers, her eyes trailing down her body before she leaned in and used the tip of her tongue to lick over what little syrup was left around her clit, making slow work at licking it away from the small bundle of nerves that Emma knew was still very sensitive from the hours they'd spent making love.

Emma moaned against Regina's skin, knowing how much she loved feeling the vibrations flowing through her body, and she slid her finger out from inside of her, quickly replacing it with a hot, agile tongue as Regina's soft gasps and moans filled the otherwise quietness of the room. Emma drank her in completely, moaning herself as she agreed with her own answer. Regina was definitely the best thing she'd ever had in her mouth and she planned to keep on tasting her, teasing her, fucking her with her tongue and sucking her until Regina begged her to stop.

Neither heard the door open, both too preoccupied with one another. Neither heard the sharp click of heels coming down the hallway, approaching the open bedroom door quickly, but they both most definitely heard what came next:

"Regina Mills, I cannot believe you would invite me for breakfast and here you two are, holed up in your bedroom, _feasting_ on one another!"

Emma's eyes flew open as she scrambled to move from between Regina's legs, grasping as the sheets to cover herself and somehow managed to tumble off the bed and landing on the floor in a heap of sheets just barely covering her naked body.

"Kathryn, if you could do me a favour and wait in the kitchen, we're just…" Regina said, her voice husky and thick with arousal, "finishing up."

"Oh my god," Emma murmured under her breath as she heard Kathryn laugh as she walked away, giving the two of them their privacy once again. "Oh my god, tell me that did _not_ just happen."

"Relax, darling," Regina said as she moved to peer down at her lover from over the edge of the bed. "It's only Kathryn."

Emma's cheeks burned as she buried her face into her hands. She felt a pang of jealousy in her chest as she picked herself up from the floor and realized that Regina had made no attempt to cover herself up either. Swallowing hard, she shook her head and allowed herself to be pulled back down on the bed on top of Regina.

In the two months they'd been together, Emma had only briefly spent time with Kathryn and after being walked in on like that, she wasn't sure if she could spend more than five minutes in the same room as the other blonde woman ever again.

"Did you know she was coming over this morning?"

"I forgot actually, darling," Regina said gently. "There's no need to be embarrassed."

"Right. No need to be embarrassed when your best friend just walked in on me, what was the word she used, _feasting_ on you," Emma said as her cheeks burned hotter than before. "Maybe I should just…go?"

"Stay," Regina urged. "Please? I promise you I will make sure this is not…embarrassing for you this morning. She won't stay long. I'll make sure of it."

Emma nodded slowly and rolled off of Regina. She watched her as her heart hammered in her chest hard, her eyes drinking in the sight of Regina's nude body as she slipped off the bed and pulled on her white silk robe, tying the belt tightly around her waist.

"Get dressed if you would feel more comfortable, darling, but your robe is in the bathroom if you'd rather just slip into that instead."

Without another word, Regina slipped out of the bedroom and in moments Emma could hear her and Kathryn laughing in the kitchen like nothing had even happened. She groaned as she placed her palms on her cheeks, feeling the heat radiating from them. She untangled herself from the sheets and found her clothes scattered around the floor along with Regina's, clothes that had been pulled off in a desperate fashion.

So desperate in fact, that as she picked up what was left of her panties, she frowned and growled Regina's name under her breath. Ripped, literally, clean off of her the night before in a wave of passion she hadn't realized that Regina had quite literally ripped them from her body. She found herself grinning at the memories of that moment she came to Regina's door, dinner forgotten the moment Regina had laid eyes on her. She pulled on her tight jeans and skipped her bra as she pulled on her black tank top and pulled her hair back in a loose ponytail before inspecting herself in the vanity mirror.

After a quick trip to the bathroom to wash up, she joined Regina and Kathryn in the kitchen, the burn flaring over her entire face as Kathryn just smiled ever so sweetly at her with a dangerous glint in her eyes. Regina was at the stove, cooking up another batch of her delicious apple pancakes, but she turned to grab Emma, smiling as their lips met in a sweet yet chaste kiss.

"Are you still hungry?"

"Uh…"

"I'm sure she's hungry, dear, but not for your apple pancakes," Kathryn chuckled and Regina shook her head, peppering Emma's reddened cheeks with soft, light kisses.

"Don't mind her," she whispered as she pressed her forehead against Emma's. "She is lacking a sex life at the moment and living ever so vicariously through us."

Emma nodded, unable to shake the embarrassment away. She knew then that she would definitely never be able to look at pancakes or syrup in quite the same way again.

* * *

Ruby cast Emma a look as they exited the Diner nearly an hour later. Emma felt the blush tinge her cheeks just remembering the last and only time she'd had apple pancakes. While Henry hadn't yet caught on to the way Emma would space out when she thought about Regina, Ruby knew the look well and that alone was more than embarrassing for Emma since that memory of that morning when Regina made her breakfast in bed had came on so quickly that she let herself indulge in it for a little while.

"What?" Emma asked as Ruby gave her that all knowing look again as they walked down the street together, Henry walking a few paces ahead of them. "Ruby, seriously, why do you keep looking at me like that for?"

"You totally went off into Regina land during breakfast, didn't you?"

"Is it really that obvious?"

"Duh," Ruby laughed. "And I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was a…_good_ one?"

"Oh yeah."

They laughed like a pair of teenagers, giggling and pushing at each other when the other wouldn't stop. They didn't even stop when Henry looked back at them, clearly embarrassed to be seen with his mother and his aunt. Emma did, however, slap Ruby a little hard on the arm when Ruby took it one step too far and started wiggling her eyebrows and her tongue suggestively.

"Stop it," Emma said harshly and her laughter instantly died. "Seriously, Ruby, Henry is like five feet away and we've clearly embarrassed him enough already."

"Sorry!" Ruby chuckled as she casually slung her arm around Emma's shoulder. "I just couldn't resist, Em. You've got this woman so far under your skin that you can't dig her out even after a freaking decade."

"You make it sound like it's the worst thing in the world."

"It is if you give up on trying to win her back," Ruby replied. "What are you going to do now, do you know? You know you've got to make the next move, Em."

"Who says I'm trying to win her back?"

Ruby raised an eyebrow and Emma sighed as she shrugged Ruby's arm off of her. They continued to follow Henry down the street as he led the way to the waterfront and it gave Emma a moment to really think about why she was doing this and why it was so important that Regina read those letters—any of them. It was more than just trying to move on, for both of them. Ruby was right, Emma had Regina so far under her skin and her feelings for Regina hadn't changed at all.

And like most of the ideas she'd been having lately, another one popped into her mind out of nowhere and she stopped walking, pulling Ruby to a sudden stop as well. Without explaining too much because she wasn't sure exactly what she was going to do, she promised her she'd meet her and Henry down at the beach before lunch and made Ruby promise her she wouldn't say anything to Henry about what she was really up to.

She was a deputy and talking to people to find out information, even subtly, was something she was good at. The people in Storybrooke were good, nice folk and she knew it wouldn't take her long to find out where she'd be able to find their Mayor on a Friday night.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Notes: Thanks so much for your reviews everyone, I love seeing what you guys think of the story and hearing how you are enjoying it! I'll keep trying to update every other day, unless I get behind in being ahead and go back to once a week updates again (let's hope that doesn't happen, but I cannot predict the future...too bad ;) lol) Here we go...**

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Emma slammed down another shot of white rum, sliding the glass to the redheaded woman behind the counter as she waved her hand for her to fill it up again. She had asked Ruby to stay behind with Henry and she didn't need to explain why. After she asked around, rather casually, at the Diner, she found out that the Mayor herself occasionally liked to indulge in a few drinks at the White Rabbit on Friday nights. It felt like it was a last ditch effort and for all Emma knew, the last letter had gone unread just like all the others.

"Honey, maybe you oughta slow down a little?" Tori, the woman behind the counter said as she held the bottle of rum in her hand.

"I'm fine."

"She says she's fine, sister, so give her another round, would ya?" The short, bald and bearded man said from beside her.

"Leroy…"

"Come on! Get me one too while you're at it," he said gruffly and he turned to Emma with what she suspected was his most dazzling smile and held out a hand. "Leroy."

"Emma."

"Would you like to, oh I don't know, dance with me?" Leroy asked sweetly as he nodded his head over to the dozens of others who had pushed aside a few tables and were dancing to the music playing from the jukebox. "One dance?"

"No, thank you."

"Suit yourself," he shrugged and he raised his shot glass as Tori finished filling up Emma's after some hesitation. "Cheers, sister."

Emma raised hers and clinked the glass against his before taking it back, the liquor no longer burning nearly as badly as the handful of ones she'd drank before. She turned to look around the small bar, already packed and it was barely nine. Barely nine and she was already drunk, yet her head was still clear enough to know what she was doing.

What was she doing, exactly, other than trying to figure out just how to capture Regina Mills' attention.

Emma turned on the stool and looked through the crowd across the room, to the dimly lit corner the brunette sat in, at a table all alone with a single glass of red wine in her hand. She looked so out of place wearing a black pantsuit, pressed to perfection and paired with red heels and a matching red camisole top underneath the stuffy looking blazer she wore. Emma briefly saw her raise her eyes from her glass and look across the room at her before she snapped her attention elsewhere. Turning back to face the bar, Emma snapped her fingers as she slid her shot glass forward and after some hesitation, Tori filled it up again.

"Honey, you really should slow down."

"Last shot," Emma replied. "I'll have a beer, something light."

"First beer is on me," Leroy said with a wink. "Just let me buy you a drink, sister."

"One drink. And no, I'm not going to dance with you."

"Then at least just have a drink with me," he grinned as Tori placed two bottles of beer on the bar top in front of them. "One or two, doesn't matter, sister. You looked lonely over here and I'm not the kind of man who lets a friend drink alone."

"I'm a friend?"

"Potential," he chuckled.

Emma rolled her eyes, downing her shot before grabbing a hold of the cold glass bottle of beer with her right hand. Her head was swimming slightly, but as she repeated Leroy's name in her head, she wondered if it was the one and the same that was supposed to have been taking care of the Lucas family cottage. He was old, but not too old, she was guessing late forties.

Soon enough, the liquor pulled her out of her silence and she found herself having a conversation with Leroy, one that left them both laughing throughout, that was until she mentioned the cottage she, Henry and Ruby were staying at for the summer and he visibly paled at the mention. Yet, despite that, Emma was feeling far too good to chew the man out on Granny's behalf.

After the sixth time he asked her to dance and her answer still remaining the same, she turned to see if Regina was still sitting at the table and she was mildly surprised that she was. After her second beer, she stayed sitting sideways on the stool, listening to Leroy tell her stories from his past, stories of what Granny used to be like when she still lived in Storybrooke more than twenty-two years ago. She would occasionally look past the crowd to catch Regina staring at her and every time their eyes met, Regina immediately looked away.

Yet, every time she looked over at her, the more time it took for Regina to look away and the more she got to stare into those beautiful brown eyes, the less hard they looked and she could see the pain, the hurt, the betrayal lifting little by little, replaced by that soft look she remembered that shone in her eyes every time Regina told her she loved her.

"So, you got yourself someone special, sister?"

"Excuse me?"

"A man?" Leroy asked her as he leaned closer. "Or perhaps, a woman?"

"Neither."

"Unfortunate."

"Why?"

"A woman like yourself?" Leroy chuckled. "Anyone would be stupid enough not to want you, sister."

"Uh, thanks…and if this is another one of your ways of hitting on me, Leroy—"

"You're not interested, ya I get it," he grinned drunkenly. "Don't need to keep rubbing the salt in my battered wounds all over again, now do we?"

"What about you?"

"Leroy likes to think of himself as a ladies man," Tori chuckled as she placed a fresh bottle of beer down in front of him. "Isn't that right?"

"Right you are!"

Emma couldn't help but laugh as Leroy blew kisses at the redheaded woman who playfully caught them with her hand and pretended to place them in the pocket of her apron she had wrapped around her waist. More and more, Emma found herself glancing over at Regina, trying to hold her gaze for more than a few seconds at a time. She was making progress. That sneer that had been curled over her lips earlier had all but disappeared.

Shucking off her red leather jacket, Emma placed it on the empty stool to her right and downed the rest of her beer. She shook her head no when Tori motioned if she wanted another one and she grinned as an idea popped into her mind. Turning to Leroy, she placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling his roaring laugher rumble through him as he turned to look at her.

"Ask me to dance again."

"What?"

"If you don't want to…" Emma teased and Leroy leapt from his stool and eagerly smoothed down his flannel shirt over his round belly. "Just one condition."

"Keep my hands to myself and my eyes above the shoulders?"

"Good man."

"What can I say, sister? I can be a rather charming and respectable man when I want to be," Leroy said with a wink and waved at Tori before eagerly following Emma to join the others who were dancing to the music blaring from the jukebox.

The music playing was late 80s and early 90s pop/rock. Songs Emma grew up with, songs she knew, songs she knew how to dance to effortlessly. Making sure to keep Regina in her line of sight, and herself in Regina's, she began to sway her hips to the melodic beat of the slow song that was playing. She slid her eyes shut as she ran her fingers slowly through her hair and when she opened them, she caught sight of Regina quickly emptying nearly half a glass of wine in one long gulp.

Despite the alcohol flowing through her body, almost controlling her actions and her thoughts, Emma moaned at the sight of Regina drinking her in, loving how it felt to have the brunette's eyes on her this way for the first time in a decade.

Her hips moved slowly in time to the music, her eyes locked hard on Regina as she ran her hands over her hips in a slow, tantalizing way that had the brunette clutching at her empty wine glass helplessly. She was so into the visual torture she was putting Regina through she nearly forgot about Leroy until he shimmied his way to stand in front of her, grinning widely as he moved awkwardly to the music.

"Forget about me, did you?"

"No," Emma smiled, her eyes not moving from Regina for a second.

"Who are you looking at?"

Emma raised an eyebrow as she glanced at Leroy for a moment. "Nobody."

"Beg to differ with you on that one, sister, so?" Leroy said as he turned to try and follow her line of sight and the reaction he gave her was one she didn't expect. "The _Mayor_?"

"She's an old friend of mine," Emma replied without missing a beat.

"Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Do you know what that woman is like?" Leroy hissed and he was standing, no longer dancing in front of her. "Half the people in this town are terrified of her."

"Why?"

"She's…scary?" Leroy answered lamely, a slight blush tinging his cheeks just under his beard. "Her father was a good man, but when he passed and she took over his role as the Mayor, things…changed."

"I'm not one for politics."

"Everyone in here, right now," Leroy said as he stepped closer to her. "Everyone right now is wondering what the hell she's even doing here. She hardly ever comes here."

"Because she's the Mayor? Besides, that's not what I heard."

Leroy gave her a pointed look and Emma couldn't help but laugh. "Because she doesn't mingle with the common folk. Her family, they are practically treated like royalty in this town. Always been that way and looks like it always will be."

Emma's eyes landed on Regina again and although she was listening to Leroy, her mind was somewhere else completely. She looked over at Leroy and flashed him a small smile before she started to move to the music again, her eyes locking on the brunette who couldn't seem to stop looking at her.

"You're playing with fire, sister," Leroy said in a whisper only she heard before he sauntered off back to the bar to order himself another drink.

"I know," Emma muttered under her breath as a smile curled over her lips, her eyes locked with Regina's in a soldering gaze.

Emma found herself moving towards Regina, step by step, each sway of her hips bringing her closer to the woman she had been unable to stop loving no matter how hard she tried. Emma stopped when she was just an arms length away from where Regina sat still clutching at her empty wine glass. She beckoned her to come forward and she received a curt shake and a silent no.

Emma didn't let it sway her, instead reaching out towards Regina, her hand landing on one of Regina's as she lightly brushed her fingers over soft skin. She could feel how tense Regina was and she saw her jaw lock tight as she pulled her hand back with a jolt. Emma smiled at her, licking over her lips slowly as she reached out for her again.

"Ms. Swan, what on earth do you think you are doing?"

"Trying to get you to come and dance with me."

"Why would I—"

"Because you want to," Emma said quickly as she winked at Regina. "One dance. Please?"

Emma didn't let her protest again as she took both of Regina's hands in hers and pulled her to her feet, the alcohol buzzing in her veins making her far braver than she would be if she were sober. Slowly she backed away from the table, pulling Regina with her.

"One dance," Emma whispered as she tightened her grip on Regina's hands. "Just one dance, that's all I'm asking for."

"This is ridiculous."

"Maybe," Emma grinned as she felt Regina relax a little, but she didn't take her hands away from hers, too afraid Regina would run and too afraid if she did, maybe she would too. "You read it, didn't you?"

"I might have."

"Might have?" Emma asked with an eyebrow raised. "Regina…relax, please? It's just a dance," she whispered as the jukebox began playing a much slower beat, the song one she knew but couldn't remember the name of. She let go of Regina's hands, instantly gripping at Regina's hips as she began to move her body to the soft, slow beat.

"What do you want from me?" Regina whispered shakily as she lifted her hands and placed them on Emma's shoulders, the hesitation not lost on Emma at all. "Forgiveness? Is that what you want, Emma?"

"It'd be a start," she replied. "I know it's a lot to ask for, but I—"

"I read your letter, the one you and your son give to me," Regina cut her off, barely moving with Emma as the music played on. "I-I had no idea that you…were…" Regina trailed off and she shook her head quickly. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you…keep it?"

"It?" Emma laughed as she moved a little closer to Regina, unable to stop herself because all she wanted was to feel the woman she loved so deeply, so thoroughly. "My son is not an _it_. His name is Henry."

Regina nodded slightly as she pressed her lips tight together. Emma had told her why she had decided to have the baby, despite everything that had happened surrounding the conception. She wasn't going to explain herself all over again and from the look in Regina's eyes, she knew she didn't have to.

Emma knew the others surrounding them were watching, listening, gawking, but she didn't care. Regina did and it was clear that she was extremely uncomfortable being seen dancing with another woman. It only made Emma hold on to her a little tighter, to pull her in just a little closer despite the resistance coming from the older woman. The music started to fade before another song began to play, but the beat was quicker and Emma lost her hold on Regina, watching her as she backed away from her quickly.

"Regina—"

"You had your dance, Ms. Swan. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to pay my tab and be on my way. Do enjoy the rest of your night," Regina said and she took a few steps towards Emma, her lips curling in a snarl as she let her eyes rake over Emma's body. "And do try not to make the same _mistake_ as you did before, dear."

The venom in Regina's voice caused a lump to form in Emma's throat and she found it hard to watch Regina as she walked away from her, a slight swagger in her step. Emma was furious with Regina, not understanding what had changed in the course of five minutes, or in fact what had still proven to remain the same eleven years later. She wasn't stupid, she wasn't blind, just a little drunk, but she'd seen that look in Regina's eyes, the one that told her without words that there was still very much something there between them, that Regina still loved her from someplace deep down inside.

It took her a few minutes to move from where she was firmly rooted to the floor and she spun on her heels, motioning to Tori she would be back in a minute before she grabbed her jacket and followed Regina out the door and onto the street.

"Regina?" Emma called out as she spotted the brunette fumbling with her keys as she stood by her car. "Regina?" She tried again, looking both ways down the street before jogging across and coming to a stop by the front of the black Mercedes. "What was that?"

"Excuse me?" Regina asked as her keys nearly slipped from her fingers. "What was what, exactly?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Do I?"

"You told me you read the letter. You—"

"Yes, I read it," Regina cut her off and rolled her eyes. "What exactly is it that you want from me? Forgiveness? To open up my heart to you again only to have you shatter it on your way out of my town?"

Emma's jaw locked tightly as she stared at the woman she still loved and could and would never stop. How stupid could she have been to think that a stupid letter she poured her heart and soul into would make this woman forgive her and—what, confess to her that she still loved her after all these years? It was too much for Emma and she started laughing as she slipped on her jacket and shook her head.

"What is so extremely amusing, Ms. Swan?"

"This, all of this, you, me, us."

"May I remind you that there is no longer an _us_?"

Emma chuckled dryly as she moved to stand in front of Regina, her eyes not leaving the ones locked in an intense gaze with her own.

"There will never be an _us_ again. Not after what you did and not after how you broke my heart that I still—I can't—I don't even want to look at you. A hundred years can pass and I will still only hear the words you said to me that day you came to me and—"

"It didn't stop you from watching me when I danced for you," Emma whispered, her fingers itching to reach out and touch Regina, but even with the alcohol coursing through her veins, she managed some speck of control over herself. "It didn't stop you from practically _fucking_ me with your eyes. And it definitely didn't stop you from dancing with me, although, you know what?"

"What?"

"I know why you left, why you said the things you did to me."

"And why is that, Ms. Swan?"

"Why the hell are you calling me that?"

Regina clenched her jaw, her body stiff as the keys slipped from her fingers and fell to the pavement below. "What is it that you want, _Emma_?"

"I want you to realize that what happened that night, I had no control over anything, over myself or the situation and yet, you made me feel like I did, like it was my fault I allowed myself to be drugged without knowing, that I allowed what happened between—you know what, Regina? I thought for some stupid reason that maybe you'd understand, that maybe you wouldn't react the way you did and that maybe things could've gone a hell of a lot differently than they did that day. You went from being so concerned about why I was so upset to calling me a whore. You didn't even give me a chance to explain."

"Because I had been informed of what had happened at that distasteful little party the day after," Regina said lowly. "Yes, I knew before you even came to me, Emma. I knew for those three days you avoided me, lied to me, ignored my phone calls. I _knew_ and it hurt so much more than your inevitable betrayal because you waited for three god damn days to tell me what had happened."

"You knew?"

"I knew."

"Who told you?"

"Does that really matter now, Emma?" Regina spat angrily at her. Emma stood there with her eyes wide and she felt like she was going to start hyperventilating at any given moment. "Kathryn was there that night. She saw you, saw the things you did with that man, saw you lead him into the bedroom on your own accord."

"I was drugged! And so was he! If we weren't, that would've never happened! Ever! I was with _you_, Regina. I was in love with you."

"I'm well aware of that," Regina replied snippily. "You need to understand something, Emma. You didn't break my heart because of what you _did_ that night. You broke my heart because you kept it from me."

"What did you want me to do? Come running to you the very next morning and confess everything to you? Regina, I was fucking scared out of my mind about what had happened. I was just—I was still a fucking kid and I was so scared! I didn't know what to do! I loved you, Regina, and I knew the second I woke up that morning that whatever I did, whatever happened, it meant that I was going to lose you whether I told you or not!"

Emma's heart was racing, hammering hard in her chest as she stood just inches from Regina now. Through the haze of the alcohol, Regina's words started to sink in. She knew. She knew before Emma came to her. She knew for those three days and all she had wanted was for Emma to be honest with her right from the start, not hide from her, lie to her, but to have come to her straight away and be completely honest about what had happened that night with her and Neal.

Emma ran her hands shakily through her hair as she stepped back from Regina. She couldn't stand to be so close to her, to smell her intoxicating scent, to almost feel her body heat radiating off of her as the deep rooted anger simmered inside of her. Her whole body suddenly felt completely weak, whether it was from the alcohol or this conversation or both, she wasn't sure and she couldn't exactly think straight when all she could think about was the memories of how it'd felt to kiss Regina, to feel her lips upon her own, to feel those soft yet strong hands conquering her and making her feel like the rest of the world had fallen away.

"I know it's been eleven years," Emma said shakily, not sure where she was going with this, but the alcohol had a firm grip on her and had loosened her tongue and a wave of thoughts she didn't want to be having right now. "I know you still hate me. I know you still love me. I know that you came here not just because your father was sick, but to get away from me, to come someplace you thought I'd never find you. But I did. I found you, Regina, and while no, it's not the way I imagined it, I'm still here and so are you."

"Emma…"

"I can't stop," Emma whispered as she took a tentative step towards the brunette standing stock still in front of her. "I can't stop thinking about you. I can't stop feeling the way I do about you. It's so crazy because we weren't together for very long, but it felt like a lifetime to me. I gave you all of me and I know you gave me all of you. I can't stop loving you, Regina, and there's been nobody else since you, nobody else that can make the rest of the world fall away with just one look."

"Emma, please…"

"What?"

"Stop. Please."

"I can't."

Emma, despite her weakening hold on her willpower to keep herself from doing what she wanted to most, took one more step forward and raised her hands to gently cup Regina's face, holding the smouldering gaze that they shared and she felt her fingertips prickling as she gently stroked them over Regina's cheeks.

"I can't stop loving you," Emma whispered, her voice shaky yet sure. "I've tried, believe me. God, I've tried to forget you, I've tried to stop, but I can't."

"Try harder."

"You didn't stop either, did you?" Emma asked, not moving her hands from Regina's face, not moving an inch as her eyes bore into Regina's, watching as the tears slowly formed in brown eyes she had longed to lose herself in for over a decade. "Regina, if there's one thing I'll never forget, it's how I remember the way you used to look at me."

"How?"

"Like this," she whispered, her lips nearly upon Regina's as she stroked her thumbs over the soft skin of Regina's now flush cheeks. "You've never met anyone else, have you?"

"No," Regina replied breathlessly. "No, I haven't. I couldn't I—"

"Tell me how to fix this," Emma sighed as she felt Regina's hot breath spilling over her lips. "All I've ever wanted to do was fix this, for us to find our happy ending together."

"Emma—"

She cut her off, not by words, but by a kiss. A hard, yearning kiss that she'd been dreaming of since the last moment she saw the woman who had completely captured her heart and soul. She smiled when she felt Regina give in and kiss her back, her hands slipping over her waist as Emma continued to kiss her with everything she had.

Emma tried not to feel it, but everything about kissing Regina felt like finally coming home and the moan that slipped past Regina's lips did nothing to quell her resolve. She backed the older woman up against her ridiculously expensive car, kissing her deeper as she felt her body being tugged flush against the one body that elicited a burning desire so deep inside of her she'd never forget just how it felt to be _consumed_ in that way that Regina made her feel.

When the kiss ended, Emma didn't want to move away, she didn't want to stop kissing Regina, but she felt the hesitation rolling off of the brunette in waves and she stepped back, dropping her hands away from Regina's face as she flicked her eyes to stare at the keys that were still on the ground. She bent down, scooping up the keys with her shaking fingers and as she stood back up, she held them out towards Regina.

"I-I'm sorry," Emma stammered, cursing silently at herself as she ran her fingers through her hair. The look on Regina's face was completely unreadable. "Regina—"

All Emma could do was step back as Regina got into her car and watch as she fumbled with the keys, her hands shaking visibly even in the dark. Emma shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and trembled and wished that somehow things had gone a lot differently than they had between them. She didn't even know when she drove to the White Rabbit earlier that night what would happen if she saw Regina, but she had definitely not expected the night to turn out like this.

She stood there in the middle of the street, watching as Regina drove away, her eyes following the red taillights until they turned a corner and disappeared.

"Just an old friend, huh?" Leroy asked from beside her suddenly, making Emma jump in surprise to find him standing so close to her. "Come on, let me buy you another drink."

"I—how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough."

Emma frowned as she stared at the shorter man, but he had a soft look in his eyes, a look of understanding. He smiled as he hooked a thumb over his shoulder back at the White Rabbit and Emma groaned, nodding her head and following him back inside. Emma noticed that the other patrons were staring at her and she had no doubt in her mind it was because they had all witnessed her dancing with the Mayor and then running out after her when she'd left.

"Tori, get us a round of shots," Leroy said as he slapped his hand down on the bar top, pulling Tori's attention away from gaping at Emma. "Now, sister!"

"Leroy, after this, I'm cutting you both off!" Tori warned him as she placed to shot glasses in front of him and filled them to the brim with cheap whisky. "And if you refuse to leave, I'm calling the Sheriff. I don't want to get fired because your drunk ass can't control your temper. The last time—"

"I paid for those glasses I broke and the liquor I drank," Leroy replied snippily and he turned to Emma with a rather sweet smile dancing over his lips. "Great love lost makes a person do crazy things. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, sister."

"I—"

"So, here's what you're gonna do," he said as he handed Emma one of the shot glasses and raised his own. "You're gonna take this shot and you're gonna run after your woman. Again."

"Leroy, she's not—"

"I told you, I heard enough out there to know that at one point or another, she was your woman and I ain't stupid enough to not know that you're here to get her back."

"She doesn't want me back," Emma muttered under her breath and she took her shot back, groaning as it burned a little too harshly on the way down.

"She doesn't want _you_? Are you crazy? Have you seen you?" Leroy asked, laughing loudly as Emma raised an unamused eyebrow at him. "Look, she might be someone else to all of us here, someone we're all in some way scared off for our own reasons, but to you she's someone special and I think everyone here right now knows that. So, you're gonna run after her. Again. And this time you're not gonna let her walk away."

"Why do you even—"

"Care?" Leroy finished and he slammed his glass down on the bar and pointed at Tori, his attention wavering as he pointed down at his glass. Tori shook her head and walked away and he growled in frustration before turning his attention back to Emma. "Because when I walked out there to make sure you hadn't taken off, because you still got a tab to pay," he said as he cast a sideways glance at Tori, "I heard a woman so desperately in love with another try to win her true love back."

"You got all that from what I said?"

"I'm not blind, sister. I've got eyes and ears. I know what I saw out there and I know that you just let her go when you didn't want to. Now go, but," he chuckled as he snapped at Tori and she walked over with a roll of her eyes. "Got a tab to pay first, dontcha?"

Emma nodded, fishing out her wallet from her inner jacket pocket and slid her credit card across the bar top to Tori as her mind swam with thoughts and her lips still tingled from the kiss she and Regina had shared barely even ten minutes ago. As soon as Tori handed her card back, Emma was out the door and jogging down the street, heading in the direction of Regina's house with only one thing on her mind.

She ran harder, her shoes hitting the pavement hard as her heart raced so loudly she could hear it in her head. She picked up her pace, pushing her body to its limit in her drunken state and she nearly hopped over the gate and stumbled on the pathway as she rushed towards the front door of 108 Mifflin Street.

"Regina?" Emma said as she knocked on the door desperately. "Regina, open the door."

Emma panted heavily, both hands on the door frame as she struggled to catch her breath. She knocked again, louder this time, knowing damn well that Regina had just gotten home a few minutes before. A small yet desperate smile curled over her lips when she heard the lock click open.

"What do you want, Emma?" Regina asked quietly as she opened the door a crack. "It is late and you are clearly drunk. You shouldn't have come—"

Emma didn't let her finish, her liquid courage playing a big part in her easing her way into the house and she pressed Regina up against the wall, still panting heavily, mostly from running, mostly from the beautiful woman in front of her who grasped her head and kissed her first, hard and deep and sure. Emma moaned into Regina's mouth, blindly kicking the front door shut as she gripped at Regina's hips and pressed her body flush against hers.

Regina didn't let up, holding Emma close to her as their tongues danced and teased and sought to dominate the other. Emma hadn't been kissed this way for over a decade and she couldn't think, she could hardly breathe, and it was the best god damn feeling in the whole world to be in the arms of the woman she loved, kissing her senselessly, hopelessly, needlessly.

They broke apart, both breathless as their eyes bore into one another's with an intensity neither had known for too long. Emma's heart nearly stopped, wondering if she was going to be thrown out the front door like she half-expected, but when Regina spun her around and pushed her up against the wall, soft red lips finding her own again in a harder kiss, she knew that this time she hadn't made a mistake.

Following Regina home after everything that had happened between them was exactly what she was supposed to do…and now she just had to hope that everything else would fall into place, piece by broken piece.

They still had miles to go…


	11. Chapter 11

They hadn't moved from the front entrance since Emma had first kissed Regina after entering her home with only one thing on her mind. She still expected Regina to stop, to throw her out, to tell her to leave her alone and stay out of her life, but Regina's hands seemed to be everywhere, touching and grasping as if she couldn't get enough, yet she wasn't touching Emma in the places she needed to be touched and it was growing increasingly frustrating.

"Regina," Emma gasped as Regina's lips moved across her jaw and down to her neck. She didn't want to stop kissing her and yet she wanted to feel the woman everywhere, kissing her everywhere, touching her everywhere. "Regina, stop."

"Stop?" Regina quirked an eyebrow as she leaned back to look into Emma's eyes. "You want me to stop after you come here to my home and kiss me the way that you did?"

"I don't want to stop kissing you, at least right now," Emma whispered as she lifted a hand to Regina's chin and got lost in the sultry smile the curled over kiss swollen lips.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," she grinned, wondering how Regina could make her feel eighteen all over again just with a sultry, sexy smile and a voice that sounded like pure, dripping sex. "I know we should…talk, but right now all I can think about is kissing you."

Regina groaned as she grabbed the front of Emma's red jacket and crushed their lips together again. It was raw and heated and Emma slid her hands down Regina's back and roughly grabbed at her ass, eliciting an excited moan from the brunette. She moved when she felt Regina back away from the wall, pulling her with her. They stumbled up the few steps into the foyer and Emma pushed her up against the nearest wall, loving the feel of the woman she loved being pressed up fully against her.

With a move that surprised her, Regina spun her around and instead of pushing her up against the wall like she did before, she backed her up into a room, one that Emma tried to see what it was out of the corner of her eye. She faintly saw bookshelves lining one wall near the unlit fireplace and a flash of an antique beige sofa sitting opposite to an identical one.

Regina's wandering hands became bolder as she roughly pushed down Emma's jacket, letting it fall to the floor as they swayed and lost themselves in each other, in a kiss so passionate it did more than render them both breathless. With one hand splayed on Emma's lower back, Regina moved the other to cup her breast roughly and yet tenderly all at once in the way that only Regina could do whenever she touched her.

Mirroring Regina's move, Emma nearly tore off the blazer jacket she had on and let it fall to the floor on top of her own and she walked backwards to where she guessed one of the sofa's were behind her, wrapping her arms around Regina as she kissed her harder, deeper, unable to get enough of her.

"I missed you," Emma murmured against Regina's lips. "I missed you so much."

"Emma, I—"

"It's okay if you don't or didn't, whatever it is, but I just wanted you to know that I have missed you since the moment you—"

Regina kissed her to quiet her, and she was more than happy to be rendered speechless with the alcohol still dangerously coursing through her veins, making every move she took a bold one, and her words unhinged and unfiltered. But this kiss was short-lived and Regina stopped Emma from sliding her hands under the hem of her silky red sleeveless shirt.

"Emma, I think perhaps we should slow down."

"Oh."

"And perhaps we should talk about things when you don't smell like you swam in an ocean of cheap liquor as well," she added firmly. Emma couldn't hear a hint of malice in her voice and the sparkle in her brown eyes told her she wasn't angry like she'd been before. "I want you to have a clear, focused mind when we talk, Emma."

"I know. I'm sorry, I just needed to see you again and when you just left—"

"I left because if I didn't, what just transpired would have happened out in the street with any and all to see."

"You don't want anyone to know, I get that, but—"

"Because right now, if anyone were to find out about you, about us, I wouldn't be sure what to say or how to explain things."

"Because you're the Mayor and you don't want people to know that you're a les—"

"Because," Regina said as she smoothed her hands up Emma's bare arms slowly, smiling patiently at her as Emma sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Because I am not sure what is happening between us yet, Emma. This is why perhaps you should come back in the morning and we will talk."

"We will?"

Regina laughed as she took both of Emma's hands in her own, her smile not fading as she moved to sit down on the couch, pulling Emma down to sit next to her. "I did read your letter, Emma, and while we still have some things to work out, some things to get over, it touched me and it made me realize something."

"What?" Emma whispered faintly and Regina laughed again.

"I missed you too."

"You did?"

Regina smiled wider as she stroked her thumbs over Emma's gently. "I did. I didn't want to, but I did miss you so much, Emma."

"What happens now?"

"We will talk tomorrow," Regina said softly and she leaned over to plant the softest kiss on Emma's lips. "You didn't drive to town tonight, did you?"

"Ruby drove my car back to the cottage, so no."

"And however were you planning to get back?"

Emma shrugged, grinning as Regina laughed and squeezed her hands, but she didn't let go as she stared deep into Emma's eyes. "I really didn't think about that part."

"You never were much of a planner from what I remember."

"Oh you'd be surprised now."

"Would I?"

"Oh yeah," Emma grinned and she leaned forward, lowering her voice. "I'm a deputy now. I have a badge and a gun."

"Impressive," Regina replied in an equally low but sexier voice, mimicking the same word Emma had used when she learned she was the Mayor a week ago. "I also imagine you would have to have some sort of structure in your life because you are a mother as well."

"Yeah," Emma said as she leaned back, her voice and smile wavering as Regina's did.

Henry was going to be hard for Regina to accept, that she already knew long ago and Emma couldn't blame her for an instant if she wanted to keep her distance from her son for a while. She knew that if they were going to talk about Henry, it would be on Regina's terms, not hers and she was already okay with that for obvious reasons.

Regina would likely never look at her son without thinking of that night and it was something that Emma couldn't look past at times either. But Henry was her son, her pride and joy, the other love of her life and she still wouldn't trade him for anything in the world, not even to find happiness with the woman she knew deep in her soul was her one true love.

Emma's head was spinning, her mind going back to wanting only to kiss Regina, to touch her, to feel her fully against her again. Just as she was about to lean in to kiss Regina, she felt strong hand push her back. Thinking Regina was rejecting her, she frowned against her lips only to find Regina pushing her down on to the couch and moving to lay her delectable body on top of hers.

"Regina? I thought you wanted to slow down?"

"Do you think you can keep your hands in mostly respectable places, darling?"

Emma's heart skipped a beat hearing Regina call her 'darling' again. She grinned stupidly against Regina's soft lips that were peppering her lips with light kisses and she sighed as she slid her hands over Regina's back and down to her ass, pulling her more fully against her as Regina leaned back, an eyebrow raised.

"No promises," Emma murmured, her body buzzing as it remembered the feel of Regina in every little way and more.

Regina's low laugh made her moan and she pulled her hips down against her own. Emma bit her bottom lip as she searched Regina's eyes for any lingering doubt in them and she saw none. Whether eleven years had gone by, she knew this woman and she knew how to read her emotions just by the way her eyes shone.

She had, after all, spent many, many hours making out with the older woman, testing their boundaries especially in the beginning of their relationship and she'd learned very quickly the many signs, physical and otherwise, that told her Regina wanted it as much as she did, that she wanted Emma to touch her…everywhere.

"Just…one thing," Regina whispered, her lips just a hairsbreadth away from Emma's and she groaned as Emma moved to slip a thigh between her legs. "Hands above the clothes, darling. There's no need to rush into this. Especially not tonight."

Emma groaned, but even with the alcohol making her brain all fuzzy, she nodded, understanding exactly where Regina was coming from. Despite the fact they had been making out, they couldn't let things get too out of control, not at least until after they had talked like they both knew they needed to.

Yet it didn't stop them from kissing passionately and deeply with wanton lust, nor did it stop Regina from rolling her hips down against Emma's thigh, eliciting endless breathy moans and sighs as they became completely lost within one another. All Emma knew was that if Regina kept that up, she wasn't going to be able to hold herself back for long.

Regina teased at her top lip and she felt her smile as she slipped her hands under her red camisole and the feel of her warm, soft skin over her lower back spurned her on even more, making her want to touch her, to taste her, to feel her fully against her with nothing between them. Her clit throbbed as Regina's thigh pressed into her and she moaned loudly, digging her short nails into Regina's lower back as she thrust her hips upwards, seeking out more contact. The action alone reminded her just how long it'd been since she'd had the relief she needed. Far too long.

And by the way Regina was desperately moving her hips against her thigh and the way she kissed her like every second would be their last, she knew she wasn't the only one seeking that release only they had ever found together. It was that thought alone that pressed Emma further and along with the alcohol still coursing through her body, not fading an instant, she pushed her hands up Regina's back, pulling up the soft silky material of her camisole, inch by inch.

She reached up to grab a hold of the hand that was buried in her hair and she led it to her hip, encouraging Regina to touch her and to not hold back, not for an instant. Even if she denied it, she could taste the desperation and lust on Regina's lips and tongue. She nibbled on Regina's lower lip as her fingers skirted over braless breasts, her moan letting her appreciation show as her thumbs rolled over already hard nipples.

"Regina…" Emma moaned as she felt Regina's manicured fingertips dig into the flesh just above her tight jeans under her top. "Oh god, Regina. Please…"

"What is it, darling?"

"I need you…to touch me…"

Emma gasped into Regina's mouth, rolling her nipples between each forefinger and thumb as Regina's fingers teased over her own skin. Emma's touch lightened, turned to lingering, soft touches as their eyes bore into one another.

"I almost forgot what it was like to feel this way," Regina whispered, her whole soul laid out bare in front of Emma. "To be touched this way by someone who…" Regina breath hitched as Emma moved her lips to her neck, licking and sucking gently along her skin. She waited for Regina to finish speaking and when she didn't—or couldn't—find the words, Emma's lips found hers again.

"I would spend a lifetime helping you remember," Emma murmured against her lips and she was rewarded with the feel of Regina's hand slipping between her legs, grasping at her through her jeans almost possessively. "Fuck, Regina!"

"Hmm?"

"This isn't what I thought you meant when you said slow or over the clothes or whatever the hell you said."

Regina chuckled with an animalistic grown as she grabbed Emma through her jeans harder.

"But I think that…"

Emma's breath hitched in her throat as her hands went to the button of her own jeans and pulled it undone.

"This whole…"

She took Regina's right hand in her own, bringing it up to her lips just for a moment to place a soft yet sure kiss on her knuckles.

"We might have to talk about this whole slow thing tomorrow…"

Regina's breath hitched as hers did and she guided Regina's hand between their bodies and inside her pants, using her black boi-shorts as a barrier for a moment, giving Regina a chance to back out if she really, truly didn't want to do this.

"But right now, I really, _really_, need you to touch me, Regina."

She could feel Regina unravelling beneath her, with her, against her, and she couldn't get enough of the intoxication that moment provided. Even in her drunken state, she wanted all of Regina and she knew, just from the flicker of her conscious, she _knew_ she wouldn't be able to get all that she wanted.

At least not tonight.

Yet she was going to make damn sure that after tonight, Regina Mills would think nothing else but of her.

"I want you…" Emma's breath hitched in her throat again when her fingers undoing Regina's dress pants were met with zero resistance. "I want all of you."

They both elicited breathy moans as Regina's fingers slid beneath the cloth barrier. The above the clothes rule Regina had spoke of, being tossed aside without a second singular thought. Emma slipped her hand inside Regina's tight dress pants, moaning when she found there were no panties to stop her from slipping eager fingers between wet folds. She teased her fingers over Regina's clit, watching her as the pleasure rolled through her body deliciously.

Regina's fingers were unrelenting as she slipped two easily inside of her despite the tight confines of her jeans. Even in her inebriated state, Emma knew it wouldn't take much for her to come undone completely. She groaned as Regina's palm ground into her clit, her fingers filling her, teasing her and pushing her closer to the edge. Her own fingers danced over Regina's clit and she watched as the pleasure of her subtle touch washed over Regina in waves.

Their lips met in a flurry of lazy heavy kisses between breathy sighs and moans. The fact that Regina hadn't said a word in a while didn't go unnoticed, but Emma was lost in the feel of Regina's fingers filling her and the feel of Regina's lips on her own. She rolled her hips against Regina's hand, moaning into her mouth as she felt herself start to come undone.

"Regina, what are you still doing awake?"

That voice. Emma would know that voice anywhere. Regina's _mother_.

"What the hell?" Emma asked in a hushed whisper as they both flew away from each other and scrambled to do up their pants and straighten out their clothes in mere seconds. The fact that Regina looked terrified didn't escape her as Regina picked up her blazer and Emma's jacket from the floor. "Regina, what the hell is your mother doing here?"

"She's staying here for a few weeks while her home is being remodelled."

It was all Regina could whisper back before her mother strolled into the study wearing a long white robe over her pajama's. Regina smiled easily at her mother as she draped her blazer over the back of the couch opposite to the one Emma was sitting on.

"Oh, I didn't realize you had company at such a late hour."

"Emma is an old friend, from school in New York, Mother. She is visiting Storybrooke and we ran into each other at the bar," Regina said quickly and Emma couldn't help but notice the way her mother was staring at her and not Regina. "She came over because we accidentally swapped our phones by mistake."

Emma remembered this feeling in particular all too well and was reminded of the one and only time she'd ever heard Regina and her mother talking and the conversation she'd had with Regina before hiding under her bed.

"I see."

"I'm sorry I came over late, I just really…needed to get my phone back," Emma replied quietly, aiding Regina in the stupidest lie that was making her feel like a kid again.

"Hmm," Cora tittered as she continued to stare at Emma as she stood in the doorway.

"We were just catching up, Mother. I apologize if we woke you."

"Nonsense, dear. You know I am a rather heavy sleeper at times. I came down for a glass of water and saw the light on in here. I would have thought you went to bed when you came home rather late. Good night, dear. Emma."

Cora turned with a small little flourish and Regina didn't move from the opposite couch until the faintest click of a door being shut could be heard coming from upstairs.

"Oh my god," Regina groaned as she sat down on the opposite couch and buried her flushed face in her hands. "That did not just happen."

"Regina…"

"The second I saw you standing outside, for some reason I still can't figure out right now, I had completely forgotten that my mother is staying here," she mumbled into her hands and Emma gripped on to her jacket and stood up slowly, wondering whether or not just to leave or sit beside Regina. Her head was spinning and she had been so close in those seconds before they had been interrupted. "I'm sorry, Emma."

"What are you sorry for?"

"For letting this get out of hand," Regina replied and she rose from the couch before Emma could sit down next to her. She grabbed her blazer and slipped it on slowly, a small smile fluttering over her lips and she leaned over and kissed Emma softly. "Come. I'll drive you back to the cottage. It is quite late."

Emma was at loss for words almost completely. First off, she was still trying to wrap her head around everything that had happened throughout the night and how it led to where they'd been just minutes ago to this. Secondly, she was starting to wonder if Regina ever really told her mother about her, about their relationship, or even if she'd ever told her mother she was gay. Thirdly, she was wondering what the hell was going to happen now and how different things would be once they talked, tomorrow or whenever that would happen to be. And lastly, she couldn't help but wonder just how much further things would've gone if they hadn't been nearly caught.

Regina led her out of the house quietly and out to her car. Both climbed in without a word and Regina started the car. Her grip on the steering wheel was tight as she backed out of the driveway and drove down the street, her eyes trained on the road ahead, her jaw locked and her body rigid.

She was upset, Emma could tell from the way she ground her teeth every couple of minutes. But in the time that she'd known Regina, she had learned quickly not to pry at the older woman to talk about whatever was making her upset or angry.

"She still acts like I'm nothing more than a child," Regina said after they'd been in the car for nearly ten minutes. "It's rather embarrassing that you had to see that."

"It's okay," Emma replied, smiling even though Regina didn't turn to look at her. "Your mother is pretty intense. I remember you telling me what she's like."

"She's completely insufferable. When she told me of her plans to remodel her home, I thought she would've gone to Boston while the work was being done. Instead, I wake up one morning to her instructing two helpless, oblivious men from a moving company to take her insane amount of luggage upstairs and into the guest room."

Regina was more than just upset, she was on edge and Emma suspected it was the same reason she was feeling on edge as well. She didn't cum and she'd been close.

"When you started sending me those letters, dropping them in my mailbox, I feared she would find them," Regina continued. "Do you know where I read your letter? While I was at Dr. Hopper's office waiting for him to return from walking his dog, there for an appointment my mother made for me because she truly believes I have some giant, unrelenting issue buried inside that I need to get out and move on from."

Emma nodded and Regina pulled over to the side of the road not too far from the driveway that led to the cottage. She shifted the car into park and turned to look at Emma in the darkness, the lights from the dashboard just barely giving off enough light for them to see each other clearly.

"I never did tell her about us. I was going to the weekend after…_that_ happened, but obviously I had no need to in the end. We were no longer together."

"Oh."

"Do you know what this so-called issue is?"

"The one that your mother made you go to this Dr. Hopper to get off your chest?"

"You."

"Me?"

"Because it has been nearly eleven years, Emma, and I haven't been able to move on. I have been unable to make a connection with anyone else and god knows I have tried. She has been ruthless when it comes to marriage. I'm thirty-five years old, unwed, without child and that makes _her_ feel like she's failed in some way."

The inebriated side of Emma's brain wanted to make a comment about how good she looked for thirty-five years old, but she kept herself from letting that slip out, still having enough sense to know that now was not the time or place to be joking around.

"I see Dr. Hopper every Friday morning and I have for months just to avoid her bickering and constant questioning about my love life, or rather the lack of one. He reports to her when I go and it keeps her from bothering me about this so-called _issue_," Regina continued and she shook her head, laughing quietly. "I told him, you know? About you, about what we had. I told him everything."

"Every detail?" Emma asked, unable to resist.

"Not those details," Regina replied, finding it hard not to laugh herself. "He knows that you are the only one I've ever loved. After your son gave me that letter and I read it while I was waiting for him, I realized something then. That I would never be able to love someone the way that I love you."

"I thought it make you realize you missed me?"

"It made me realize many things, darling, and some of those things I'm not nearly ready to come to terms with quite so soon. I also just realized what I told you earlier, how we would talk about this tomorrow," she said and she sighed quietly as she reached for Emma's hand. "Despite my mother nearly walking in on us in that rather compromising position, I enjoyed being with you tonight."

"I'd say we should crawl into the backseat, continue where we left off, but seeing as your car completely lacks a decent one, that idea definitely isn't happening, is it?"

"Emma," Regina laughed as she shook her head. "I do believe that is the copious amounts of alcohol you've had tonight speaking. Let's just get you back home and you can sleep it off."

"And tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow we will talk."

"Where?"

"Well," Regina paused as she pressed her lips together tightly. "I suppose my home is out of the question seeing how my mother refuses to leave unless she absolutely must."

"What about the cottage?"

"Wouldn't your son and your friend be there?"

"I can send them out exploring or to town or whatever for a few hours. I can make sure that they won't be there."

"Perhaps a less intimate location would be best," Regina replied and upon seeing Emma's deep set frown, she continued. "It seems as neither of us could control ourselves around one another. I'm afraid in an intimate setting, things could play out the same way as they did when you came to my home tonight. Do you understand what I'm saying? We need to talk, Emma, and we will, just not tonight. I've already allowed things to go a little too far, considering you inebriated state and—"

"I might be drunk, Regina, but I'm not completely wasted. If I was, I would've passed out on your front doorstep before you even opened the door. And if you're asking me if I'm going to remember this or regret following you home tonight—"

"Do you? Have regrets about tonight?"

"God, Regina, no!" Emma said quickly and she leaned over to kiss her, but Regina turned her head and Emma's lips landed on her cheek. "But you do?"

"Perhaps we jumped into things a little too quickly," Regain replied quietly. "I meant what I said, Emma. I do. I don't regret anything that's happened tonight, although I will admit on the drive out here I imagined things going far differently."

"Me too."

Regina laughed and leaned in for a rather chaste kiss before she settled back in her seat and slipped the gear into drive. "For now it's better that I take you home and you get some sleep, Emma. We will talk tomorrow."

"About everything?"

"Yes, about everything," Regina replied after she turned onto the gravel driveway leading to the cottage. "As for where, I'm not entirely sure yet. Meet me at the Diner at ten. We'll have breakfast and go from there."

"Okay."

Emma felt somewhat accomplished and proud of herself when it came to holding back some of the things that were threatening to slip past her lips. She knew Regina was right about one thing, she really did need to sleep it off, gain a clear head before they had their talk tomorrow. As Regina slowed down to a stop behind Ruby's new car, Emma found herself smiling as she slid the gear into park once again.

"Walk me to the door?"

"Emma…"

"Regina," she said playfully, echoing the tone in which Regina had said her name.

"I suppose you'll want a kiss good night as well?"

"Maybe."

She only briefly saw the smile that danced over Regina's lips before she shut off the engine and climbed out of the car. Emma fumbled with her seatbelt and all but ungracefully managed to tumble out of the car. Laughing, she ran her fingers through her hair as Regina shut the passenger door for her.

"Seeing you like this, it's almost as if no time has come to pass," Regina said quietly, frowning as Emma's back hit the side of the car with a loud thump. "And perhaps you're feeling those drinks a lot more than you think you are."

"Maybe I am, but is that going to stop you from having a good night kiss at the door?"

"Dear, I'm afraid you'll barely make it there with the way you fell out of my car."

Emma reached out and grabbed Regina's blazer where it came undone and pulled her towards her. "Oh really?"

"Yes, darling. Really."

"I love it when you call me that. _Darling_."

Emma knew the response it would elicit from Regina and even after all these years, it still worked. Regina's lips found her in a soft kiss, tentative hands resting on Emma's hips as she pulled Regina closer to her. Although Emma was almost relentless, trying to kiss Regina with everything she had, Regina was not and she pulled back and placed her hands on Emma's cheeks as she made her look at her.

It was that one simple look, the one that made her come undone, that did it for her completely. She spun Regina around, catching her off guard as she slammed her up agains the car roughly. It took just seconds of hazel eyes boring into brown ones to know that what they both felt was blazing between them.

Emma captured Regina's lips with her own as their bodies all but melted together. In a desperate attempt to keep her wandering hands to herself, Emma grasped at Regina's hips as she kissed her deeper, wanting nothing more than to draw out the moment for as long as she could. She could feel the hesitation coming off of Regina and she pulled back slightly, quickly finding herself being pulled back in for more.

Although it was brief, it left her lips tingling when Regina ended the kiss and they stood there hold on to one another. Regina smiled at her, reaching up to gingerly tuck a stray hair behind Emma's ear, her fingers caressing over her cheek lightly as Emma fought with her raging libido to claim her lips once more.

"I really missed you," Emma whispered. "I tried not to."

"I know," Regina said as she leaned forward and pressed her forehead to Emma's, their lips so close yet barely touching. "I did as well."

Emma grasped at her hips and kissed her again, unable to hold back. Everything she had wanted since it had ended between them was literally right in front of her and she didn't want to let go. Everything about the night had felt so surreal and it almost felt as only days had passed instead of years. Emma tried to keep herself in check, ending the kiss slowly, her lips moving to kiss over flushed cheeks before she backed away.

Her mind flickered over the thought of taking Regina to her own car to finish what they had started before, but she couldn't do that no matter how tempting it really was. They had pushed the boundaries between them once already and even she could think clearly enough to know that it couldn't happen again, at least not until after they had talked tomorrow. She couldn't help but hold on to that hope that Regina wanted this, wanted her, and that they would find a way to get past the heavy emotional hurdles that were still standing in the way.

When she tried to kiss Regina again, wanting nothing more than to find herself slipping away into the other woman, Regina pulled back with a slight shake of her head as she managed to slip out of Emma's tight hold. She stepped towards her, no longer trapped between Emma's body and the car and she ran her fingers over her cheek lightly, smiling and frowning as she shook her head again.

"Regina—"

"Tomorrow. We will talk tomorrow," Regina whispered, placing once last kiss upon her lips before moving away to walk around the car and she climbed back in. Emma backed away, jolted and feeling rejected as she watched Regina reverse and then drive down the gravel driveway without even stopping.

Ruby found her twenty minutes later, standing in the same spot. When she tried to get her to tell her what was wrong, Emma turned to her with tears in her eyes, her lips trembling.

"It was like everything was still the same. It felt the same. But it's not. Everything is so different now. It's the same but it's different," she frowned as she let Ruby wrap her arms around her. "I don't want it to be different and it is. Why does it still hurt so much?"

"Come on, Em, let's get you to bed. Everything will feel different in the morning, I promise."

And everything would.

Miles to go. The term wouldn't leave Emma's head and she knew it wouldn't until they finally found the happiness that had evaded them for so many years.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Notes: I just want to take a moment and thank everyone who has been leaving reviews, you guys are seriously the best and I appreciate all of your kind words! So much in fact that I'll update with another chapter later on today :)**

* * *

Emma wasn't alone in the bed when she woke up just a few short hours after falling asleep. Her head was pounding and she was dying of thirst, her memory also wavering at what had happened the night before, but she remembered all of it as her mind woke up and the memories came tumbling back all at once.

Ruby stirred beside her, grumbling under her breath that it was too early to be awake. It pulled a small smile from Emma as she pulled back the covers and slipped out of the bed. She shivered as the cool air hit her, a stark difference from the humidity that had clung for days.

She quietly made her way down to the kitchen, not wanting to wake Ruby or Henry since the sun had only just started to rise. As she made a pot of coffee, she licked over her dry lips and she could feel the ghosting of Regina's lips on hers still from the night before. She groaned quietly, not sure if she was feeling regret or longing or both, but she knew that the copious amount of alcohol she'd drank had been the only reason why she had the nerve to show up at Regina's door after their encounter outside of the Rabbit Hole.

Regina didn't exactly stop her when she'd kissed her and that alone made her smile as she hit the button on the coffee maker and watched as it started to brew. She felt like the same lovesick teenager she was when she first met Regina and she couldn't shake the feeling nor did she want to. It still seemed like nothing had really changed yet everything was different now.

Their lives had taken on their own course, Emma becoming a mother and joining the police force when Henry was barely three years old. Regina had her own life here in Storybrooke too, and from what little she did know, she was following in her father's footsteps, continuing the Mills family reign in the Mayor's office. They led two very different lives, hundreds of miles apart and if it hadn't been for Ruby and Granny's secret scheming, Emma knew she would have never found her again.

"Hey," Ruby said as she walked into the kitchen. She yawned as she took a seat at the kitchen table and ran her fingers through her wild brown hair. "So, that was one hell of a good night kiss last night from what I saw."

"You were watching us?"

"Caught the tail end of it," Ruby replied with a shrug. "What happened last night, Em?"

"A lot."

"Did you—"

"No. Almost, but no."

"How can you _almost_ have sex?"

Emma shook her head as she grabbed two clean mugs out of the cupboard and made them both a coffee. She sat down across from Ruby and sighed. "Her mother almost caught us."

"No! Doing what?"

"What, you want a play by play and heavy details about what happened last night?"

"Yes!"

Emma laughed and then frowned. "Where do I even start? She was there, Ruby, at the bar," she said and Ruby nodded, wrapping her hands around her mug as she motioned for Emma to continue with another nod of her head. "I made her dance with me and then she just left, but you know how I get when I've had a few—"

"You had more than a few."

"Rubes," Emma sighed in frustration and yet couldn't help her smile at the attempted innocent look Ruby flashed her way. "I followed her out, stopped her before she could get in her car. We talked. She told me she knew what happened at the party before I told her. She _knew_ before I even told her what happened at the party with Neal."

"Kathryn?"

"Who else could it be, right? Of course it was Kathryn." Emma muttered and she inhaled sharply. "We talked some more, well I did, she mostly listened. And then I kissed her. She left after that and I went back into the bar for a little while before I literally ran to her house and pounded on her door. She told me to go, but you know I didn't leave her."

"What did you do, push open the door and kiss her again?"

"Yeah. And again and again and we ended up on her couch. She, well…she topped me, said something about keeping it over the clothes, but things kind of got out of control pretty fucking quickly," Emma said quietly in case Henry had woken up and was trying to listen to their conversation. Ruby laughed and shook her head at her. "I couldn't help myself! We were kissing and just feeling her hands all over me, I kind of just lost it."

"And what exactly were you doing when her mother almost caught you?" Ruby asked, her tone teasing as Emma rolled her eyes and smirked. "Were you…" Ruby trailed off as she wiggled her fingers and the blush that crept on Emma's cheeks answered the question for her. "Damn."

"Yeah."

"Well, how did it feel?"

"Ruby, that's going a little too far even for us."

"I meant, how did it feel to be with her again?"

_Like coming home._

Emma hummed as she smiled, thinking just how it felt to be with Regina again, to kiss her, to touch her, to feel the driving ache everywhere at once. There were no words to describe how she felt and there was no other feeling quite like it. Yet, it still hurt because they were a long way from getting to where Emma hoped they would go. Whenever she did think about it, she stopped herself from thinking too far ahead. She didn't want to set her hopes high only to have them all crash down in the end, destroying her far more than she already was.

"Jesus, Ruby!" Emma yelped when Ruby kicked her under the table. "What the hell was that for?"

"You're doing it again, Em."

"Doing what?"

"Spacing out. You're thinking about her, aren't you?"

"Hey, Ruby," Henry said as he chose that moment to come running into the kitchen. "Morning, Mom. Are we going to go for breakfast again this morning?"

"Not today, kid."

"Why?"

"Because we have food here that's perfectly fine for eating and maybe if you ask nicely, Ruby will make you some pancakes," she said, winking at Ruby who kicked her under the table, but not nearly as hard as the first time. "Maybe you and Ruby can make up some lunch and take it with you, go exploring."

"What do you say, Henry?" Ruby smiled at him. "I bet you we can find that old treehouse Granny told me about."

"A treehouse?"

"Yeah," she chuckled. "A treehouse somewhere out in the woods. She said it's marked on that map you found."

"I didn't see any treehouse when we went exploring last time."

"That's probably because you didn't know there was one to be found. It's pretty well hidden and only those who know it's there can find it."

"Really?" Henry asked, the delight in his eyes brightening as he could hardly contain his excitement. "Mom, are you coming too?"

"No, kid. I got something I need to do today."

Ruby mouthed 'Regina' at her and she kicked her under the table to get her to stop.

"But," Emma continued as she ruffled his hair and smiled at him. "I can't wait to hear all about it when I come back. So, make sure the story is a good one this time, kid."

Henry grinned and Emma could already see him coming up with the perfect start to his story. She loved how imaginative her son was and how he thrived on it most days. She couldn't wait to see what he came up with this time. Her ran out of the kitchen and upstairs to get dressed, calling out to Ruby that he wanted to leave as soon as they finished breakfast.

"So, what's the deal, Em?"

"Regina wants to talk. I'm meeting her at the Diner at ten."

"And then what?"

"I have no idea."

"Why the Diner? Why not go to her house or something?"

"One thing, her mother is staying with her. Something about her mother's house being remodelled. And the second thing, she didn't want to talk in an intimate setting. I'm not the only one who can't hold back," Emma replied quietly, grinning as she loved the feeling of knowing it wasn't just one sided. "So, we're going to meet and have breakfast and…talk. I guess after that, we'll see where things go."

"Where are you hoping things will go?"

"I-I don't know yet, honestly. I'm kind of excited and terrified at the same time about what could happen today. And Ruby?"

"Don't tell Henry what you're up to, I know."

"Thank you."

* * *

Emma sat at the counter, her leg twitching as she kept glancing at the clock and at her watch. It was already ten and there was no sign of Regina. She'd been sitting there for the last fifteen minutes and the fact that Regina hadn't shown up yet was making her far more nervous than she should be.

"Can I get you anything, Emma?" Belle asked for the second time since she sat down.

"I'll have more coffee, thanks," she said with a nod and Belle smiled. She topped up her mug and placed the carafe on the counter.

"Are you waiting for someone? Your son Henry and Ruby?"

"No, I'm meeting someone else this morning."

"Oh, okay. Well, give me a shout when you're ready to order."

Emma nodded and Belle left her alone at the counter to continue her rounds with the coffee. She sighed heavily as she glanced down at her watch and then up at the clock on the wall. Five after ten and still no Regina. She gripped on to the spoon next to her mug and started tapping it on the counter, trying to give her hands something to do other than pull at the hem of her t-shirt or at the frayed ends of her jean shorts.

Between watching the clock and her watch, every time she heard the door open she'd look over, hoping it was Regina and feeling the disappointment when it was not. Minutes passed by and she stopped fidgeting at ten-thirty, her nerves still hanging around and being stood up was far more disappointing and unnerving. She paid for her coffee and slipped off the stool, sighing heavily as she headed for the door.

It wasn't until she was in her car that the tears started to burn in her eyes. Why didn't Regina show up? Did she purposely stand her up or did something happen that kept her from coming at ten like she'd told Emma last night.

She drove around town for a while, trying to fight off the feeling that made her feel like someone had punched her in the gut and made her heart rise up in her throat, almost choking her as she uselessly tried to fight the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She ended up down at the shore and she didn't bother to get out of her car, finally letting it all out as the tears wracked through her, feeling like they would never stop coming.

* * *

Regina sat straight and stiff at the dining room table, her jaw clenched tight as her mother sat opposite of her, a thin, smug smile dancing over her lips as they quietly ate the apple pancakes Cora had cooked for both of them.

She couldn't stop glancing at the clock on the wall, her heart sinking as she saw it was nearly eleven. She was supposed to have been at the Diner at ten, but when she was about to leave, her mother had _insisted_ she stay for breakfast. And Cora Mills was the kind of woman you don't say no to without having a reason for it. She had a reason, one that she has never been able to tell her mother, that she's in love with another woman.

Regina had to think back to when she was still in high school and friends with a girl named Gina who had quickly become one of her best friends within days of their freshman year. Both were popular and they both were gay and struggling to come to terms with who they were. The fact that they had talked about it together had really helped Regina figure herself out for the first time in her life. While she chose to keep it to herself, worrying endlessly what others would think of her, Gina on the other hand was not. After they talked that one night, she came out to the entire school the next day and by the end of that week, she had a girlfriend.

Cora caught wind of the fact that Regina's best friend was gay and she banished her from seeing or speaking with her ever again, spitting her disgust at how wrong and sinful it was to be homosexual. Cora threatened Regina that if she ever dared tell her she was like Gina, that she was gay, she would disown her forever. It was in that moment that Regina knew she could never tell her mother who she really was. The thought of losing her family terrified her completely and that did not change when she met and fell in love with Emma in her last year at university.

Emma had completely captured her heart and turned her entire world upside down in the three months they were together. Never had she been in love like that before, it was soul consuming in the greatest way. The five year age difference never once was thought about in any way because it never mattered. Emma was beautiful, funny, kind and loving. It didn't even matter that they came from two very different upbringings or that Emma was a little rough around the edges and could curse like a sailor. She had loved every last bit of Emma and who she was.

When Kathryn had come to her the morning after Jefferson's party, what she heard completely devastated her. Emma had slept with someone else, a man nonetheless. The rage she'd felt learning that was something she still couldn't forget, but the feeling afterward as the days went on and Emma avoided her phone calls or made up excuses as to why she wasn't coming over, it was pure heartbreak, nothing more.

She was just grateful that her mother wasn't around to see her fall apart. She spent hours crying in bed, refusing to get up even when Kathryn came over to try and get her to go out with her, to take her mind off of Emma's betrayal and lies. It had been the second night after learning this, that she decided that if Emma came to her, she wasn't going to tell her that she already knew. No, if this was going to end, she was going to make Emma believe it was her fault—and at the time she honestly believed that it truly was. But now that she knew otherwise, she felt like things could've been so different.

If that had never happened, if Emma had never gone to that party, she was going to tell her mother everything when she came for a visit that coming weekend. It was supposed to be the hardest thing she'd ever have to do and it was a giant risk she was willing to take because she loved Emma Swan more than she had ever loved anyone in her life. She wanted her mother to know since during their sporadic phone calls, her mother would continuously question who it was that she was so in love with and when she could meet him. Regina wanted to correct her every time her mother assumed it was a man, but she never did, choosing to wait until her mother was there and she could tell her face to face with Emma at her side.

It made everything worse, everything harder when it fell apart completely with Emma. She changed her number after a week and when her mother called nearly two months after they had broken up, telling her that her father was dying, she packed up her apartment and made the move back home to Storybrooke without a second thought. She figured it was exactly what she needed to get over Emma, to start fresh back in her hometown and take the role as the deputy mayor while her father fought for his life.

She had been wrong. It never stopped hurting no matter how many hundreds of miles there were between them. She never stopped thinking about Emma and she spent months crying herself to sleep every night. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried, she could never forget Emma Swan, nor could she try to deny the fact that she still loved her with every ounce of her being no matter how much time had passed.

"Are you not hungry?"

"Hmm?" Regina looked over at her mother, having been so lost in her thoughts she wondered if she'd missed the beginning of a conversation she should've been listening to from the start. "No, Mother. I am hungry, just not as much as I thought I was."

"I see, dear," Cora replied evenly. "You've been rather quiet this morning. Is there something on your mind?"

"No," Regina replied with a shake of her head. "I am just feeling tired today, Mother."

She rose from her chair and carried her plate into the kitchen without another word. She scraped her nearly untouched pancakes into the garbage and rinsed her plate before putting it in the sink to wash later. All the while she was all too aware of the time and she couldn't seem to swallow the lump that has risen in her throat. She grabbed her cell phone off the counter where she'd left it, wanting to text Emma to apologize, but then she realized she didn't even have her number and she felt a wave of panic wash over her suddenly.

If she put herself in Emma's shoes, she would think of the worst, that she'd been stood up on purpose. She couldn't put it past Emma if that is what she was thinking had happened this morning, but she didn't want her to think that. Today was supposed to be about them talking things out, getting over what had happened in the past and try to move forward from there. Gripping on to her phone tightly, she walked out of the kitchen and grabbed her car keys and purse off the table in the front hallway and left without a word to her mother. She was a grown woman and she was tired of reporting her every move to her intrusive mother.

She would deal with her mother later. She had to find Emma and try to make up for not showing up at the Diner at ten like she had told her she would. It wasn't like her to not follow through on her word, she was the Mayor of this town after all and her word was always kept, promises that were made always fulfilled.

The drive to the Diner was quick and she nearly leapt out of her car and walked quickly inside. The lump in her throat grew bigger as she scanned her eyes over the lunch-time crowd and didn't see Emma anywhere. Turning on her heels, she walked back out to her car and got in, her mind racing as she tried to think of where Emma could've gone from there.

Regina knew she knew this town better than anyone else that lived there and she drove through the streets, looking to see if she could spot Emma's yellow Bug or Emma herself. After a half an hour of driving through town and down at the harbour, she headed for the cottage since it seemed to be the likely place that Emma could've gone. Her heart was clenching as she turned into the driveway and came to a stop behind Emma's car. She sat in her car for a few moments before getting out and smoothing her grey dress down her body.

It was quiet as she walked to the front door and knocked, waiting for Emma or perhaps her son to answer the door. But after five minutes and a few knocks later, there was nothing and absolutely no sign that anyone was inside. Furrowing her eyebrows, she made her way around the cottage, looking to see if anyone was around. And that's when she saw her, laying in a hammock tied to two trees just past the yard, earbuds in her ears and eyes closed as the hammock swayed slightly.

Regina walked across the grass, her heels sinking in the soft earth as she walked carefully. She groaned quietly, wishing she had chosen a different outfit for the day, but it didn't matter now. The closer she got to Emma, the harder her heart pounded in her chest and the tighter the lump in her throat felt. She ran her fingers through her short hair as she came to a stop just a foot away from where Emma lay in the hammock.

Just seeing her laying there like that for a moment, Regina couldn't help but think she looked exactly the way she did when she first fell in love with her. It brought a small smile to her lips as her fingers nervously picked at the belt cinched around her waist. She took a deep breath before gently placing her hand on Emma's arm, but what happened next she wasn't prepared for as Emma's eyes flew open in surprise as she scrambled to get out of the hammock quickly. She landed on the ground with a thud and pulled her earbuds out as she glanced up at Regina.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Regina was at loss for words as she watched Emma stand up and brush off a few blades of grass from her jean shorts. She took in the sight of Emma and it made her heart sink when she saw her eyes were slightly red and she knew then that Emma had been crying. Over her. Because of her. Because she had stood her up. She wanted to reach out and touch her, hold her, kiss her, but she didn't get the chance because Emma was now walking away from her and heading towards the cottage.

"Emma?" Regina called out as she tried to catch up to her quickly, but her heels made the task a little difficult. "Emma, I came here to apologize."

"For standing me up?" Emma asked as she stopped suddenly and spun around. "What, the guilt for purposely standing me up start eating away at you and you decided to make amends?"

"My mother, she—"

"You are a grown-ass woman, Regina, and you're going to stand there and tell me that your mother made you stay at home when you were supposed to meet me at the Diner at ten?" Emma asked angrily and Regina lowered her eyes. She did feel guilty, but she also couldn't deal with her mother, not even after thirty-five years. "You're unbelievable."

"I am sorry, darling—"

"Stop," Emma cut her off. "Just stop, Regina. Go home."

"Emma, I am sorry," Regina tried again. "I would still like to talk to you."

"I thought you came here to apologize for standing me up for your mother?"

Regina sighed as she pinched at the bridge of her nose. "Can't I do both?" She asked after a moment and she saw Emma's rigid posture loosen slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Is there somewhere we can go and sit down?"

"I thought we were going to meet at the Diner and figure out a place to talk that wasn't an _intimate setting_, Regina?"

"Can we at least sit on the front porch then?" Regina asked as she tried not to let Emma's mood affect her own. "The sun is rather warm today."

Regina watched her roll her eyes before she led the way around to the front of the cottage and onto the porch. Just to the left of the door was a two-seater outdoor sofa, wicker with floral patterned cushions. Regina sat down first and crossed her legs as she smoothed her dress over her thighs. Emma seemed hesitant to sit next to her and she chose to lean against the railing instead.

"Where is—"

"My son? He's off exploring with Ruby right now. They won't be back for hours."

"Right, okay," Regina said quietly and she cleared her throat, her eyes unable to look away from the long, lean and tanned legs in front of her. "I'm not sure where to start, Emma. We spoke a little last night, but—"

"I wasn't wasted enough to forget what we talked about or what we did," Emma said evenly as she slipped her hands into the front pocket of her very short jean shorts. "I remember everything you told me about your mother too, Regina, but what I can't understand is why you still let her take control of your life like this."

"It's complicated. It's always been this way and even when I had gone to school in New York City, she still found ways to control my life from hundreds of miles away. The last time I tried to get out of plans she made up on the spot for whatever reason that is her own, I…" Regina trailed off, unsure if telling Emma was appropriate or not. She took a breath and shook her head. "My mother controls my inheritance. Shortly before my father passed, she had him rewrite the will. I may be a grown-ass woman, but that house I live in? It's in my father's name and she is his benefactor and if I were to anger her in any way, that would be taken from me."

"Just because you tell her no?"

"My father's passing made her far more intolerable than she has ever been. I still cannot deal with her and I can't hardly expect you to understand what she is truly like or what kind of a situation I have, especially now that she has taken it upon herself to make my home hers for a little while."

Emma's jaw clenched before she moved to sit next to Regina and she had to fight with herself to keep the smile from sliding over her lips. Being near Emma made her feel like she was twenty-four years old again, newly in love and spending time with her girlfriend. Regina did manage a small smile as Emma leaned back and hastily ran her fingers through her long blonde hair.

"It's so stupid," Emma muttered. "When you didn't show up, I thought you did it on purpose or something. I sat there for a half an hour and then I left when you still hadn't shown up. I even got there early, you know, hoping maybe you were gonna be there early too. I drove around for a while and ended up down at the beach. But I wanted to be alone and a bunch of teenagers were down there being loud and obnoxious, so I just drove back here, grabbed my iPod and went to lay in the hammock."

"You've been crying?"

"It hurts," Emma admitted easily. "And I'm so _tired_ of crying over you, Regina. I spent enough time in the last eleven years crying over you. I never thought I would again."

Regina felt her whole heart sink just hearing those words fall from Emma's lips. She wrung her hands in her lap as she watched a flurry of emotions play out in Emma's eyes, some showing in the way her face twisted and scrunched as she looked like she was having a hard time just trying to control the emotions she was feeling.

"I know I don't even know what your life is like here in this town and that you're not the same woman I used to know, but it hurt. You standing me up like that. If you just called or—"

"I don't have your number," Regina whispered and Emma laughed dryly as she nodded her head. "I'm sorry. I truly am. If I could take back this day, everything would be different right now, Emma."

"Do you know how I even ended up here?" Emma asked and Regina shook her head, choosing that moment to stay silent since Emma clearly needed to get some things off of her chest. "Ruby and Granny. They schemed together to get me and Henry to spend the summer here because they knew you were here too. Do you know how long I looked for you, Regina? You never did tell me where you grew up and I never asked. I loved you and yet there were so many things I never truly knew about you. You just left and I—and I never felt so fucking empty in my whole life when I found out that you were truly gone. Do you know what that felt like, Regina? You never even gave me a chance to tell you what had happened that night. You just pushed me out of your life."

"I'm so sorry."

"Would it have made a difference? Would it have changed anything if I had told you sooner?"

Regina responded only with silence. She didn't even know herself if it would've made a difference. She had been so angry, felt so betrayed when Kathryn had come to her that morning and told her what she had seen at that party. She had played that morning over and over in her mind for years and although Kathryn was her best friend and came to her because she had been concerned, sometimes she had felt as if it had ruined everything she had with Emma. Would it have made a difference if Emma came to her that next day or a few days later? Maybe it would've if she didn't already know what had happened and had drawn conclusions before she even gave Emma a chance to explain what had really happened.

Emma cursed as she slammed her tightly coiled fists against her thighs. "The only thing that has consumed me like this is loving you and never being able to fucking let go no matter how hard I've tried."

Regina knew all too well how hard it was to try to move on from her, to try to, to force herself to, and yet she never could. Emma wasn't holding back now, but she was and she wasn't used to laying herself so bare, so open to anyone, even the woman she loved and could never stop loving no matter how much pain still resided in her heart.

This was definitely not how she had imagined things would go when they started to talk, but she knew it would've gone differently if she had the gall to stand up to her mother and tell her no, no to staying home, no to the breakfast she never did eat much of, no to her controlling her life in the way she'd always done. She couldn't expect Emma to truly understand what it was like having a mother like that, but then again she also knew she couldn't blame Emma for feeing the way she was, rejected and hurt and alone.

"Did you rip up the rest of those letters I gave you?"

Regina shook her head no. She hadn't, but she also hadn't read them. They were safely tucked away in the bottom drawer of her filing cabinet in her office at the town hall, locked away and hidden from prying eyes.

"But you didn't read them either."

"No, not yet."

"It doesn't matter," Emma said quietly, her eyes not reaching Regina's as she rubbed her fingers over her bare knee. "Everything in those letters was in the one that you did read. The one that Henry gave you."

"Emma…"

"We need to talk, I know."

Regina nodded, offering a small smile in hopes that it would help Emma feel more at ease. But it didn't and it didn't make her feel that way either.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Notes: As promised this morning, another update for you guys because you are all so very wonderful! Also, we can only go forward from this point, hopefully this chapter sates some of the questions you guys have right now :)**

* * *

Somehow they found themselves inside the cottage and sitting at opposite ends of the well-worn couch. Regina smoothed her dress over her thighs, a habit whenever she chose to wear a dress or a skirt, which was more often than not. Emma sat sideways on the couch, her legs partially tucked under her as she held a warm cup of coffee with both hands, balancing it on her right knee and she stared right back at Regina.

While she had only read Emma's letter once while she'd been in Dr. Hopper's office, she still had many of the words that were written swimming in her mind. She knew she should've been more prepared, but she had confidence in herself, in her feelings and thoughts that she had figured she would just speak with Emma and let it come out naturally. What she hadn't anticipated was the situation they now found themselves in.

Emma had been stood up and she had cried because of that. Regina's stomach was twisting in knots because she knew Emma was angry too. She had every right to be angry. She'd been stood up and then sought out and she wasn't happy about any of it.

"I felt a lot of different emotions when I read your letter," Regina began, speaking softly almost as if she was unsure that was the right way to start. Emma sat there watching her, emotionless as she nodded her head. "At first I could hardly read it, but I did. The more I read, the more it hurt."

"It wasn't meant to make you feel that way."

"I know," Regina replied, smiling softly. "It hurt because it made me realize how much I had hurt you when I didn't give you the chance to explain what had happened. You deserved more than that from me, Emma. You still do."

Regina inhaled slowly and she could feel her heart racing hard and fast in her chest. She glanced down at her dress and while she always took pride in her appearance and her choice of clothing, she was suddenly wishing she had chosen something else to wear. The dress fell to mid-thigh in length and it hugged her curves, fitting her like a second skin and the neckline was low despite the fact she'd bought the dress because it flattered her breasts in a spectacular yet professional way.

She watched Emma swallow hard and watched her eyes as they quickly looked over her for the hundredth time in a way she knew Emma thought she didn't see. She fought the smile, the urge to lean across the couch and kiss Emma, to continue where they'd left off the night before. It wasn't why she was here and with the state of mind that Emma was in, she'd surely be kicked out of the cottage if she tried such a thing.

"When I saw you in town that day for the first time in eleven years with that boy—your son, I fell right back into a place I hadn't been in a very long time. I was angry with you, so angry, and I jumped to conclusions."

"What kind of conclusions?"

"That maybe he wasn't yours, perhaps you were watching him for a friend, but the way he laughed reminded me too much of you. I thought you had gotten married and had a son together," Regina replied and she still had to fight the smile itching to curl over her lips as Emma laughed dryly. "And then, just from guessing that he was nearly ten, I had an inkling that perhaps the boy was…Neal's and that you had become pregnant that night. That thought alone had felt devastating to me. I couldn't understand why you would want to have a baby born in such consequences."

Emma stayed quiet and Regina knew why she didn't say a word. She had already explained everything in the letter and she wasn't going to explain it again.

"I don't know what compelled me to drive out here the next morning, but I was still angry that you had shown up in my town out of the blue. I thought it wasn't a coincidence that you were here, of course, and as you told me otherwise, I realized that I had made a mistake in coming to you and by telling you to leave in the manner that I did, especially when I learned that Henry was in fact your son."

"Regina, I don't know what any of this has to do with—"

"We needed to talk and we're talking, or rather I am talking because I feel that I owe you a rather big explanation."

"No, you don't."

Regina shook her head as her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her dress. "You didn't deserve me reacting the way I did that morning, nor did you deserve the way I spoke to you later that day in the diner with your son within earshot. I apologize if he asked questions you were not prepared to answer," she said, remembering the line in the letter when she wrote that she had never told Henry about her or their relationship.

"It's fine. He would've found out about you one way or another."

"Emma—"

"No, really, Regina, it's fine. I should've told him about you a long time ago, but I never thought it'd made a difference because I didn't know where you were and we hadn't seen or spoken to each other in years."

"He did seem rather determined when he approached me and gave me the letter."

Emma's jaw tensed, but she didn't say anything and Regina was picking up on underlying signals that Emma did not want to talk about her son. Regina continued to fidget with the hem of her dress, wishing now she'd taken up on Emma's offer for a cup of coffee, if not to just have something to keep her trembling hands busy with.

"I almost ripped it up when I got to Dr. Hopper's office, I will admit that. I was tempted to and I had just been thrown off guard by your son approaching me with that letter. Yet, I couldn't stop staring at the envelope and I ripped it open and started to read it. At first I laughed at how long it was, but then I realized you were trying to explain absolutely everything to me, things I should've given you a chance to say a long time ago. Dr. Hopper found me clutching your letter a half an hour later and I was crying."

"Why were you crying?"

Regina shook her head and even though she'd already told Emma this the night before, she knew she had to say it again. "Because I realized how much I truly missed you and how, no matter how many times I denied it to myself over the years, I still loved you just as much as I did the day you came into my life. I realized something else as well, that you definitely did not deserve to be treated the way I had been treating you in the week that you've been in town. The way I've been reacting is because of the pain that came back after I spent so many years trying to forget how much it had hurt to push you out of my life when I should've been there for you, I should've listened to you instead of allowing my anger to control me. I know it is too late to take back everything, Emma, but I am sure we can find a way to work through all of this together."

"Do you think that's what I want? For us to find a way to work through the past so we can be together again?" Emma asked and her voice was emotionless as she stared long and hard at Regina. "Do you think that what I've been doing and what happened last night is because I want to be with you again, Regina?"

"I-I am not sure."

"How about you _ask_ me what I want?"

Regina's brows knitted in confusion, but she had to remind herself that Emma was still very upset and angry and that hadn't subsided even just a little bit. "Emma, what is it that you want to happen between us? Forgiveness? Because I do, darling, I do forgive you, but it is you that I should be asking for forgiveness from."

It was Emma's turn to show confusion, the first real emotion that showed on her face since they had come inside to talk. "Why?" Emma asked after a moment.

"Because I should've given you a chance when you came to me that day. I had started to, but—well, there's no need to relive that day again, is there?"

"Maybe we should."

"What?"

"Talk about that day, Regina," Emma replied and she moved to place her mug on the coffee table before she crossed her arms defiantly across her chest. "What exactly did Kathryn tell you she saw at that party?"

"What I already told you. She saw you retreating to the bedroom with Neal."

"But she didn't see us fucking, did she?"

"Yes, she did," Regina replied, recalling that conversation all too vividly and it made her stomach flip and she could almost feel the bile trying to rise into her throat. "If it weren't for her, everyone at that party would've have seen you both."

"Great, so I can thank Kathryn for ruining my relationship and trying to give me some decency when I was drugged out of my goddamn mind!"

"I did find that out myself, months after I moved back home. Kathryn had called me up one day and told me she had found out from Jefferson that someone had drugged half the people at his party that night, yourself and Neal included. I was still very angry at the time and heartbroken, but I should've called you, apologized for not listening to you. I admit I was terrified of hearing your voice again, Emma. Even after learning the truth, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and I could not find the courage to pick up the phone and call you. My cowardice won in the end, unfortunately."

Regina recalled those months faintly, yet vividly. She hadn't thought of it in years because it hurt too much to think of it, of Emma, of what had really happened. Her father was quite ill, dying, and she was thrust into the role of Deputy Mayor before Christmas rolled around. Her life had done a complete one-eighty and suddenly she was too busy all the time that Emma slowly started to recede to the back of her mind.

"Did you ever think of me?" Emma asked, biting her lower lip as Regina nodded her head. "It wasn't all bad, was it?"

"No, darling, it was not. There were times when I felt so lonely, so cold, and missing you that I would remember our time together, but it left me feeling more broken and I tried not to after a while, but do you know how impossible it is to deny yourself the memories of the one you love more than anything?"

"I do, yeah. It sucks."

"That it does," Regina replied and they both managed a small smile at one another, but it was one born out of sadness, not happiness. "When you showed up at my door that day," she continued, knowing that she had to talk to Emma about what had been going through her mind that morning Emma came to tell her what had happened. "I told myself before you knocked on the door that I would try to understand, to be the woman you loved and needed me to be. It was too hard, I couldn't stop from feeling so betrayed. You'd already broken my heart and there you were, breaking it all over again and I couldn't handle that. I couldn't handle hearing you so broken about what had happened. All I thought about was the fact that you had cheated on me and with a man, nonetheless. I wasn't just hurt and heartbroken, I felt betrayed. I had thought you could've told me anything and the fact that I knew already and that you hadn't come to tell me for three days had only given me more time to let that anger fuel into what you saw that day."

"I was fucking scared," Emma mumbled under her breath. "I knew before I came to you that it didn't matter if I told you the day after or three days later, I was going to lose you either way. I was so scared of losing you, losing what we had together when we only just started to discover we had something real between us."

"I know."

"We can't go back and do it all over again differently. Trust me, I've tried wishing for that to happen so many times and wishing for it doesn't make it happen."

Regina felt the pang in her racing heart and it brought tears to her eyes. Both of them had spent the last eleven years with a broken heart. She felt like it was her fault completely because she had been the one that left, she had been the one who ceased all contact with her former lover, she had been the one that could've reached out and changed everything then instead of letting her cowardice win out in the end.

And really, it was her fault, just as much as it was that Emma was now angry and upset with her because she had stood her up that morning. She wasn't even sure if there was a way to make up for everything, for all the pain she'd caused Emma to live through.

"What do we do now, Emma?"

"I honestly don't know," she replied after sitting silent for a moment and refusing to meet Regina's eyes with her own. "I want…something with you and I'm not sure what that is yet. Last night, if I hadn't been drinking I wouldn't have been so bold in taking you like that when I came to your house. Maybe that was the worst thing we could've done was let what happened last night happen, because we're so far from…"

Emma trailed off and stood up from the couch slowly with a shake of her head. Regina rose too, unsure of what Emma had been about to say. She kept her distance, keeping space between them as Emma simply walked to the front door and opened it. Taking it as a sign, Regina stepped outside and sighed dejectedly as Emma stood in the doorway, leaning up against the frame with her arms still crossed defiantly over her chest.

"We need to take this slow, Regina, and yet I'm not sure maybe even that is a good idea. I'm leaving at the end of August. I have a life back in New York, a job I'm good at, a home I'm proud of, I have friends I care about, and my family…"

"I know."

"I just…" Emma sighed as she finally allowed her eyes to lock with Regina's in an intense gaze. "I don't know if I can handle having my heart broken again."

"I understand," Regina said thinly. "Perhaps we can work on becoming friends instead?"

"I'd like that. That I can do. Friends. Sounds a lot easier than anything else right now."

Regina smiled as she took a step back, finding it impossible to fight that urge to wrap her arms around Emma and hug her, even if it was just a simple friendly hug. Regina took the hint of Emma walking her to the door that she needed to leave without it being voiced. Yet, as she turned to walk down the steps, Emma reached out to her, grabbing on to her left arm to stop her from stepping off the last step.

"Emma, what—"

Regina was cut off by a simple shake of Emma's head and she looked down as she felt the pen tip press to the palm of her hand. A phone number.

"Now you have it," Emma said quietly. "My number. You said before you didn't have my number or else I'm thinking that you would've told me that your mother was keeping you from meeting with me this morning."

"Thank you."

Emma smiled as she stepped back and even as Regina turned and walked to her car, she could feel Emma's eyes on her the entire way, watching her as she left. She couldn't help but smile a little as she slid into the driver's seat and saw Emma still standing there, still watching her. She backed the car up and turned it around, glancing at the review mirror just to see Emma as she turned and disappeared back inside.

Friends. Regina shook her head at that. It would be impossible for them to be simply friends when they were still very clearly in love with one another, but if Emma wanted to take things slow, Regina would as well and she knew that whatever happened between them next, it would be on Emma's terms and not her own.

* * *

Emma leaned up against the closed door as she tossed the pen to the table near her. She felt completely drained and it wasn't just from the talk they'd just had, but from all the tears she'd shed before Regina had found her there. In the two hours since she'd left the Diner, it had given her plenty of time to feel the hurt, the pain that came with being rejected and stood up, and that turned into anger, anger she still couldn't quite shake off yet.

She thumped her head against the door and groaned quietly. She hadn't expected things to go the way they had and she was partially to blame because she was angry at Regina. She had listened to everything Regina had told her, let a lot of her words sink in and not once did she feel like anything Regina said wasn't sincere.

Even feeling the way she did, she had been fighting with herself the whole time. While she found it difficult to look into Regina's eyes, her own eyes kept betraying her as they took in the sight of Regina sitting on the opposite end of the couch, drinking in the expanse of skin on display and the way her grey dress clung to her body perfectly. The woman was gorgeous, there was no denying that, and her eyes couldn't stop looking at the way her breasts looked, nor could her eyes stop staring at the cleavage that was on display. Far too many times she felt herself slipping, her mind trying to wander into dangerous territory, the one she too easily went to when it came to Regina.

Friends, they were going to try to be friends after everything they'd been through, after years apart, after years of living with a broken heart they were going to try to be friends. Emma laughed again at that and how ridiculous it seemed, but what else was the right thing to do if she wanted to take things slow with Regina this time around? She knew it wasn't going to be easy either, not when it came to trying to be friends with the woman she was still so desperately in love with that it did hurt, in all the good ways and bad ways and every way in between.

Those two emotional hours it'd taken Regina to find her had given her pause for thought. Did she even want a relationship with the woman she could never stop loving? She was leaving at the end of August and she knew that no matter what did happen in the next two months, nothing would change the fact that she had her own life to get back to in the end.

Being friends _was_ easier, because at least when she would leave Storybrooke, she wouldn't be leaving with her heart broken yet again for the second time in her life. She knew she could never live through that again and she knew she couldn't do that to Regina either. She thumped her head against the door again and slid her eyes shut, feeling a headache coming on slowly yet surely.

"Mom, we're back!" Henry yelled out as he came running in through the back door. He skidded to a halt as Emma opened her eyes and raised a questioning eyebrow as she took in the sight of him. "I kind of fell."

"Into what?" Emma asked since he was literally covered head to toe with mud, some of it already dried right up as it caked his clothes and skin. "A big giant puddle of mud?"

"There was a hill and I stepped too far and I slipped down, and Mom, before you ask me if I'm okay, I'm _fine_, it was just a little hill and the mud puddle kind of broke my fall."

"Yeah, I can see that, kid. Why don't you go upstairs and get cleaned up, okay?"

Henry nodded as he took off upstairs. Emma walked into the kitchen and nearly burst out laughing at the sight of Ruby standing by the back door, she too covered in mud but not nearly as bad as Henry.

"What, did you fall too?"

"Don't even ask," Ruby muttered.

"Did you two at least find the treehouse?"

"It's officially Henry's most favourite place in the whole world, or at least that's what he said once we found it," Ruby laughed and grimaced as she looked down at her muddy clothes. "So, how did it go, Em? With Regina?"

"She stood me up," Emma replied and Ruby gasped, moving to say something, but Emma stopped her as she shook her head. "It wasn't on purpose, but I thought it was until she found me back here. We talked, well, she did a lot of the talking and I listened mostly."

"And?"

"We're going to work on becoming friends."

"Are you serious?" Ruby asked, laughing as if it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. "Friends? You and Regina? No, it's not gonna happen. You two can't be friends. Em, what the hell?"

"I know, but apparently that's what it is going to be for right now."

"I thought you wanted to work things out between the two of you? What happened?"

"I was pissed off when she showed up. I couldn't shake it, you know?" Emma shrugged a little and frowned. "Everything could've gone so much differently if I hadn't been such a closed off bitch to her."

"You're pretty damn stubborn when you're angry."

"I know. God, I screwed everything up again, didn't I? She was asking me to forgive her. Me! She acted like us breaking up was _her_ fault and she wants _me_ to forgive _her_!"

"What did you tell her when she asked you that?"

"I asked her why."

Ruby frowned and she almost threw her arms around Emma, yet stopped herself as she glanced down at her muddy clothes for the second time in minutes. "Oh, Emma, you didn't…you had a chance to make everything right between you two and you asked her why instead of telling her that you do?"

"Do I?"

"Yes!" Ruby said loudly. "Why else would you have gone through trying to get her to read those letters all week? Why else would you have sought her out last night and seduced her—"

"I didn't seduce her, Ruby!"

"Danced all sexily for her then kissed her outside and then ran to her house and nearly got caught fingering each other by her mother, of all people! Oh, not to mention that wicked hot good night kiss I caught the tail end of when she dropped you off last night!" Ruby said quickly yet kept her voice low enough that her words wouldn't find their way upstairs. "Why go through all of that just to try to work on becoming friends? You are in love with her and that's never gone away, what makes you think being friends is going to work out between you two?"

"Maybe it's the first step, you know, in making things right between us again," Emma said softly and she sighed as Ruby did. "Why do I feel like I'm eighteen again with her? It's like everything is the same, but it's not."

"You said something like that last night. What do you mean when you say that?"

"Being with her feels like not a day has passed and yet it's been almost eleven years. So much is different now, our lives our different, we're both different people than who we were before when we'd first met. And do you know why it hurts, Ruby? It hurts because after last night and after today, I realized that if we had both done things differently, we could've had a life together."

"Did she tell you that?"

"Not in those exact words no, but she told me she'd found out months after she left that I'd been drugged at Jefferson's party. She knew what happened and she said she was too much of a coward and too terrified to call me after finding that out for herself."

Emma couldn't help but stop and wonder just what would've happened if Regina did make that phone call. What would they have said and done after that? Would they have made amends and gotten back together? Would she have packed up her life in New York City to be with Regina? What about Henry? Would she have kept him and she and Regina raised him as their son together, or would she have given him up for adoption just to continue to live out her happy ending with the love of her life?

It was thoughts like that she had refused herself to think about over the years, always thinking of different ways her life could go from different points in time if she and Regina had worked through everything they'd been through and gotten back together.

"So, if you don't want to be friends with her, Emma, you need to tell her that."

"I can't," she said, her voice cracking as she frowned deeply. "I want to be with her again, more than anything, I want to remember what it was like to be truly happy and in love, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm going to be leaving in less than two months."

"You're afraid of falling in love with her all over again because you're going to end up leaving her no matter what?"

"Pretty much," Emma admitted easily. "I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I?"

"You're doing what you always do, looking out for yourself and for Henry too. Trust me when I tell you that I want to see you happy again, Em, I do. I know you know what you're doing, or at least you're trying to do what you feel is the right thing right now. I am your best friend and I will always be here for you and I will always support you in whatever decisions you make even if I don't always agree with them."

Emma didn't care about the mud soaked clothes and she threw her arms around Ruby, a few hot tears sliding down her cheeks as she held her best friend tightly. She pulled back after a few minutes and laughed as she flicked Ruby's left cheek where a streak of mud had dried up.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Rubes."

"Alright, enough with all this sentimental mushy stuff," Ruby chuckled and she cringed as she pulled her damp, muddy t-shirt away from her chest. "I feel absolutely disgusting right now. I can't believe you hugged me! You're filthy now!"

"I don't care."

"Ugh, can't you teach your son to take quicker showers?"

Emma, relieved at the shift in the mood that had been emotionally heavy moments ago, laughed as she quirked an eyebrow at Ruby. "What, do you want me to hose you down in the yard or something?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Em. I'm not a dog!"

An hour later, with both Henry and Ruby showered and dressed in clean clothes, the three of them sat on the front porch drinking lemonade. Henry was eager to tell her all about their adventure and the muddy end it came down to, but for a little while they just sat there, enjoying the peace and quiet that surrounded them.

The quiet was something Emma knew she'd never get used to, being a city girl and kind of already missing the constant sounds the city made every second of every day. But it was a nice change being there, surrounded by nature and the quiet sounds that came with it. Chirping birds singing happy songs, the occasional sound of the bushes at the side of the cottage rustling from the family of rabbits that lived here, to the sounds of the crickets at night and the throaty sounds of frogs coming from the creek.

Even though it'd only been a week, the cottage felt more like home to her than her apartment did back in New York City. She thought how maybe it just wasn't the cottage, but the town itself and that maybe she felt like that because she had most of her family there with her. She refused to think that it was because Regina was there too. She wasn't ready to admit to herself again that being with Regina and kissing her had felt like coming home.

Nobody else had felt like that right from the beginning, from the first kiss. She knew that as a fact because of the men and the occasional woman she'd dated over the years had never made her feel that way. Kissing them never brought that spark, not did it fill in her ways she couldn't even describe. She'd only ever felt that with Regina and she knew she'd never find that with anyone else for the rest of her life because as far as she was concerned, Regina was _it_ for her.

Emma shifted her attention to Henry as he began to tell her his story of his and Ruby's adventure they'd had. She smiled as he beamed when he told her how they'd finally found the treehouse's secret location and that it was better than he could've ever dreamed it to be. Like Ruby had told her earlier, he claimed it to be his new most favourite place in the whole world and wanted to spend as much time as he could playing there over the next two months.

Listening to Henry's story helped take her mind off of Regina, at least for a little while. She asked him to take her to the treehouse before it got dark and he dramatically rolled his eyes and told her it'd be dark by the time they made it to its top secret location. She let him continue to tell her his story of his and Ruby's adventure and she couldn't help but ask what had happened that really made them fall into a giant puddle of mud.

"I saved her," Henry grinned. "Ruby fell first and I came tumbling down after her."

"He jumped down," Ruby said under her breath. "After I fell, he panicked and jumped down, thinking I was hurt and he ended up landing face first in the puddle of mud when he tripped over a tree root."

"Ever the little prince, aren't you?" Emma laughed as she reached out to ruffle his hair.

"Mom," he whined as he leaned away from her and the three of them started laughing.

Emma rejoiced in the laughter with her family. It always brought a lightness to her heart even when times were tough and her mind was elsewhere. It was moments like this when she was so glad she'd made the choice she did when she found out she was pregnant. There was no way she could ever imagine her life if Henry wasn't in it.

Just like in the way she imagined her life without Regina and how much emptier things would've been if she had never met her in the first place.

She knew that no matter what happened from there on out, she didn't want to know what life would be like without Regina in it, one way or another.

They'd find a way, she knew that, but first they had to navigate the waters of friendship before anything else.

Ruby was right though. They never could be friends, but it would be a rather interesting journey to see just how the attempt would play out in the meantime.

And when her phone went off with a text from an unknown number, she read it with a smile on her face that made her feel like a lovesick teenager all over again.

**_Meet me tonight at the Rabbit Hole at nine? I would like to see you again._**

It was all it said, yet she knew it was from Regina. Before she could reply, another had come through.

**_As friends, of course - Regina_**

Emma ignored the look the Ruby shot her as she quickly typed her reply. Two simple little letters and nothing else.

**_Ok._**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Notes: As always, you guys are awesome and I can't thank you enough for following/faves and especially the reviews. So, here's a little present for you all :D**

* * *

Emma was running late and it wasn't on purpose. It had taken her longer than necessary to figure out what to wear and it wasn't like she had a whole lot of options. _Friends_, she had kept reminding herself, she was meeting Regina there as friends and nothing more. Even with Ruby's help, she hated everything she put on, some of her tops too revealing, her pants too tight. In the end she settled on the first outfit she'd tried on, one similar to the night before, but the jeans weren't as tight and she opted on a plain white t-shirt, one of the least revealing ones she'd brought along.

"You're just going to meet her for a few drinks, as friends," Ruby reminded her gently.

"I know I just…" Emma frowned as she ran her fingers through her hair and checked her clothes in the mirror for a third time. "Why do I feel so nervous, Ruby?"

"You're worrying about nothing, that's why," Ruby replied and she stood behind Emma and gently rubbed her tense shoulders. "You and Regina agreed to try this whole being friends thing. This could be her way of trying out this friendship thing."

"At a bar?"

"There aren't many places in Storybrooke to go in the first place, at least not as friends. The Diner would mean dinner and that would end up feeling like a date, wouldn't it?"

"I guess, but it really doesn't seem like somewhere she'd want to go."

"She was there last night."

"Yeah, but—"

"Emma," Ruby sighed as she turned her around and made her look at her. "It's not a date. It's just drinks with a friend. That's all."

"A friend that I'm in love with."

Ruby smiled as she shook her by her shoulders and laughed as Emma backed away from her. "Just relax, Em. Look, I called ahead and booked you a room at the Inn, you know, just in case you end up having a little too much to drink and can't drive back tonight. Belle said to stop by to pick up the key."

"Thanks," Emma said through a forced smile as her stomach twisted in nervous knots.

"Now go! You're going to be late," Ruby laughed as she pushed Emma towards the bedroom door. "Go, Emma!"

She shook her head, laughing under her breath as she grabbed her red jacket and headed down the stairs. After a quick goodbye to Henry, she was in her car and driving to town, her fingers drumming against the steering wheel to the beat of the music she had blasting on the radio. Her nerves were still coiling inside of her, but she had to keep reminding herself that she was meeting Regina as friends and they were going to have a few drinks at the Rabbit Hole as friends.

She stopped at the Inn and debated whether or not to go inside to pick up the key from Belle for a moment before she just shook her head and went inside. Belle wasn't there when she walked in and after hitting the bell twice, Belle came in from the door that led to the diner.

"Hey, Emma," Belle smiled as she handed her one of the keys she pulled off the board. "It's room three."

"Thanks, uh, is there somewhere I can park my car?"

"You can leave it where you've parked it. We don't exactly have a parking lot."

"Yeah, I've noticed."

Belle smiled. "I should be getting back, I have a few customers waiting."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks, Belle."

Emma left, sliding the key into the inside pocket of her jacket and her nerves came back tenfold when she realized she was already ten minutes late meeting Regina. She walked down the street quickly since the Rabbit Hole wasn't too far and when she walked in, she was surprised to see the place was even busier than the night before.

She looked around for Regina, but it was so crowded she didn't see her anywhere and she made her way to the bar, nearly bumping into a laughing Leroy as he turned on the stool and greeted her with a smile.

"Emma! Back again are ya?" He chuckled and he caught Tori's attention. "Care to have a drink with me, sister?"

"I'm actually meeting someone here," she replied. "Can I get a beer, Tori? Thanks."

"Oh you are?" Leroy asked and he chuckled as he nodded his head, his line of sight just over her shoulder. "The Mayor?"

Emma turned around slowly and she saw Regina sitting at a booth in the far corner. She hadn't seen her yet and she lifted her glass of red wine and sipped it as she glanced down at the dainty watch she wore on her left wrist.

"Take it everything worked out last night then?" Leroy asked as Emma turned around to face him again. "Didn't it?"

"We're still kind of working things out," Emma replied and she grabbed her beer from Tori and smiled. "Maybe we can have a drink later, Leroy."

"Yeah sure, sister, whatever you say," he chuckled throatily before turning to the brunette woman sitting next to him, resuming the conversation he'd been having before Emma nearly bumped into him.

Emma made her way through the crowd towards Regina, unable to wipe the smile off her face as Regina spotted her headed her way. She took a deep breath as she watched Regina rise up from the booth and smooth her hands down her dark blue dress, one that was similar to the one she wore earlier, yet the neckline plunged a little lower and the hem was shorter. Emma had to swallow hard as she drank in the sight of Regina and noticing that she looked completely out of place in the Rabbit Hole dressed like she was.

Emma weaved her way through a few more people before she ended up in front of a smiling Regina. If she'd thought she felt nervous before, she was feeling it a lot more as Regina moved to hug her.

"Sorry I'm late," Emma whispered, hugging her back briefly before they pulled apart.

"It's fine, Emma," she smiled as she sat down in the booth and motioned for Emma to take a seat beside her. "I'll admit I just arrived minutes ago myself."

"It's sure crowded here tonight," Emma mused as she took a seat next to Regina and placed her beer on the table in front of her. "Is it always like this?"

"On the weekends, usually yes, but I'll admit I have never come here on a Saturday night before," she said and she placed a hand on Emma's thigh, nearly making her jump. "Relax, Emma, we're just here as friends. There's no need for you to be nervous."

"Who says I'm nervous?" Emma asked as she sat back and tried to calm her nerves.

"You're tense."

Emma glanced down at Regina's hand still resting on her thigh and she breathed out heavily as she looked over at her, losing herself in her brown eyes far too easily. Regina gently squeezed her thigh before letting go, moving her hand to rest in her lap.

"I don't know why I'm nervous," Emma said quietly as she lifted the bottle to her lips and took a sip. "We're just friends, right?"

"Yes."

"And we're just here having a few drinks like friends do."

"Of course," Regina smiled easily. "Perhaps once we've had a little bit to drink, you won't feel this way."

"Probably."

"Shall we move on to a round of shots to get started?" Regina asked and Emma shrugged, not sure if it was a good idea to be doing shots with Regina, especially not after how last night had played out because of the shots she'd been doing. "We could wait a little while then, if that's what you'd like."

"So, why here?" Emma asked her, figuring it would help her feel more at ease if they fell into a conversation instead of sitting there in silence. "Why not somewhere else?"

"I thought you would feel more comfortable here, Emma. I was going to suggest we go for dinner, but then I realized it would make it feel like we were going on a date and not spending time together as friends."

"And your mother? What did you tell her?"

"That I was going on a date," Regina replied dryly. "She believed me and did not ask questions, but of course as you can see I had to dress for the part."

"You look…really nice."

"Thank you, darling. You do as well."

Emma smiled at her before taking another sip of her beer. The music blasted from the jukebox and she watched the crowd of people dancing and having a good time. She recognized a few of them from the night before and they waved at her, motioning for her to come dance. She shook her head no and slipped off her jacket and placed it on the seat next to her.

Her eyes trailed down to her lap and over to look at Regina's legs as Regina crossed her legs towards hers. The dress definitely was short and she couldn't stop thinking about how much she wanted to trail her hands up those smooth thighs. With the way they were sitting, the table blocked anyone from seeing their bottom halves and she knew that if she did touch Regina, nobody would be able to see.

It was thoughts like that she knew she couldn't be having about the woman she was supposed to just be friends with. She couldn't help it though and it brought back those feelings she had when they were together a long time ago, feelings she didn't expect to feel all over again just sitting there next to Regina in a packed, loud and smoky bar.

"What's your poison?"

"Pardon?"

"I'm going to get us a round of shots," Emma said quickly. "What do you want to have?"

"It does not matter. Whatever you would like is fine with me."

"Except rum," Emma smiled as she remembered Regina's dislike of the specific liquor.

"I don't do rum."

"I know, I remembered," she smiled again before she slipped out of the booth. "I'll be right back."

"I'll be right here," Regina grinned as she lifted her wine glass to her lips and took a sip.

Emma nodded, feeling her heart skip a beat or two before she made her way through the crowd to the bar. She breathed heavily as she tried to calm herself down. All she was doing was getting a round of shots to share between her and Regina. As friends.

"Hey, what can I get you?" Tori asked loudly.

"Is it possible I can have a bottle of vodka and two shot glasses? It doesn't have to be, you know, full."

Tori sighed and nodded, grabbing a bottle off the shelf behind her and two clean shot glasses. She placed the bottle on the bar in front of Emma and raised an eyebrow at her. "Leroy told me about her," she said as she leaned forward. "About what happened between you two last night."

"Why did he—"

"I haven't told anyone and he hasn't said a word to anyone else. Even if he does, nobody is going to believe him."

"I could kill him."

"Trust me, I have thoughts of killing that man daily, but he only told me because for some reason he thinks you're his friend and he made me promise him that you two will be well taken care of tonight."

"What exactly did he tell you?"

"You seem to forget that I was standing not even five feet away when he told you to go after her last night," Tori replied. "He just filled in some of the blanks for me, that's all."

"Great. If this is your way of asking if we're together, we're not. We're just friends."

"Right, okay," Tori chuckled and she let go of the bottle and handed the shot glasses to Emma. "Have fun and let me know if there's anything else you two need, okay?"

She nodded but didn't return the smile that Tori flashed at her and she headed back to the booth where Regina was waiting, her glass of wine now empty. Emma took a deep breath, her hands shaking as she placed the bottle and the glasses down on the table before she slid back into the booth next to Regina.

"A whole bottle?"

"I just thought it'd be easier than making a few trips back and forth to the bar."

Regina laughed as Emma poured them each a shot and placed the bottle in the middle of the table. "What shall we drink to, Emma?"

"To us," she replied as she reached for her glass. "To uh, us being _friends_," she corrected and Regina nodded, smiling as they tapped their glasses together and downed the vodka quickly.

It was Regina who poured the second shot they both drank without a word. They went back and forth, each taking a turn to pour another shot. By the time they downed the fifth one, Emma could feel the buzz from the alcohol becoming stronger and she shook her head when Regina moved to pour them another.

Emma slipped out of the booth and held her hand out towards Regina as the same song came on that they had danced to the night before. It was a move she knew was a risk to make, but when Regina smiled and took her hand, she knew it wasn't the wrong move.

They didn't move far from the booth, their arms immediately encircling each other. Emma sighed as she held Regina close to her, far closer than what was acceptable between two friends. If Regina had any doubts, she would've put some space between them, but she didn't and instead she held Emma tighter against her.

When the song ended, Emma tried to move out of Regina's arms, but she wouldn't let her go as another song started to play. Couples were paired up all around them, none of them paying the slightest bit of attention to her and Regina.

"One more?" Regina asked. "To make up for last night."

"Once more dance," Emma nodded. "And then I think I'm going to get another beer."

Of course it wasn't just one more dance and Emma couldn't find the strength in her to let go of Regina just yet. After they spent nearly an hour dancing, they finally were able to let go of one another. Emma headed to the bar while Regina sat back down in the booth and she ordered another beer for herself and a glass of red wine for Regina. Tori just gave her a knowing smirk before she headed back to join Regina in the booth.

"Thank you," Regina smiled as she handed her the glass and sat down next to her, sliding over to sit a little closer. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yeah," Emma smiled. "Tonight has been great."

_It would be better if we were here not as friends_, she thought to herself but kept the smile dancing over her lips. She glanced down at Regina's legs as she crossed them towards her again. Her mind went back to the thoughts she'd had before, of sliding her hands up Regina's thighs, hidden from the eyes of everyone else in the room, sliding her fingers between those lean legs and touching her, teasing her, taking her right there under everyone's oblivious noses.

"Emma?" Regina's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Are you all right?"

"This is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be."

"Why?"

"Because all I can think about is kissing you and touching you and I can't stop. I didn't think it was going to be this hard trying to be friends with you, Regina."

"You can," Regina said as she leaned in closer to her. "Kiss me if you want to."

"Here? In front of everyone?"

"Nobody is watching us, dear," Regina smiled at her as she easily draped an arm over the back of the booth and slid her fingers through the ends of Emma's hair. Emma's head was spinning as Regina moved closer to her. "Even if anyone does see, the people here know better than to gossip about the Mayor kissing another woman. They are more afraid of my mother than they are of me."

It was Regina who moved in first, planting a soft kiss on Emma's cheek. Emma's lips twitched as she turned to capture Regina's lips in a soft yet passionate kiss she ended far too quickly.

"I think you were right before when you said it is hard for us to be friends," Regina whispered, not moving her arm from where it was just behind Emma. "I believe it is a ridiculous notion to try to believe that we can just simply be friends."

"Why did you invite me here tonight?"

"I wanted to spend some time with you. I miss you, Emma."

"I miss you too."

Regina smiled as her fingers twirled around a few strands of Emma's hair. They stared at each other for a few moments, smiling as they just lost themselves in each other's eyes. She shook her head no when Regina started to lean in to kiss her again and she reached for her beer, bringing the bottle to her lips as she heard Regina sigh and move her arm away from her.

"So, if we can't be friends, what are we?" Emma asked and Regina sighed again as she held her glass of wine with one hand and the other moved to trace over the top of the glass lightly. "Regina?"

"I want to be with you, Emma," she said quietly, just loud enough for only Emma to hear her speak. "I want to go out on dates with you, I want to kiss you, I want to touch you, I want to laugh with you and spend time with you. I want to spent some nights doing nothing but making love with you. I know you are leaving at the end of August, but I still want something with you, something more than friends, something—"

"Like we used to have?"

"I know we cannot get back what we used to have," she said with a small smile. "But maybe we can start something new. If that is what you would like, Emma."

She wanted this woman in her life again and there she was, offering herself to Emma, offering her a second chance at finding what they used to have together. She couldn't quite understand what made Regina turn the tables so quickly, but she definitely wasn't complaining because _god_, did she ever want this woman in every single way.

"Is this for real?" Emma asked, wondering if she'd fallen asleep and this was all just a dream, all of it from the conversation she and Ruby had had before she left, to the nervous feeling she couldn't shake as she drove into town and parked outside the Inn, to picking up the key to a room before she met Regina there at the White Rabbit to have a few drinks as friends, to taking shots and dancing like they were lovers to this one single moment. "Regina, is this really happening?"

"Yes, darling, it is. We can take this slow, like you wanted and just let whatever happens between us happen."

Emma smiled at her and shook her head no. "No, that's not what I want."

"What?"

"Slow," Emma said. "I don't want to take this slow, Regina. Slow is going to kill me. Slow is going to take up what time we do have together this summer."

"Then what are you proposing?"

"I know we can't have exactly what we had before, we're both different people and we both have very different lives. And I have Henry, my own little family. But I—"

"Don't want to waste any more time?" Regina finished for her, both of them smiling at each other as Emma nodded and placed her hand on Regina's knee. "We don't have to waste anymore time, Emma. Whatever you want, you can have."

"What about what you want?"

"You know what I want, darling. You."

Emma felt like her whole world was coming back together in one single moment. Her fingers slipped over Regina's thigh, smiling as she was met with no resistance. She wanted to kiss her again, devour her completely, but she couldn't do that, not in the middle of a crowded bar. She watched her own hand slip up the soft expanse of Regina's thigh and she watched as she uncrossed her legs subtly when her fingertips met the hem of the dress.

"I believe you've wanted to do this since the moment you sat down earlier," Regina whispered into her ear. "Touch me."

"How did you—"

"I remember that look on your face, darling, the one you always had right before you would touch me," Regina gasped as Emma's hand slid under her dress, trailing her fingers over the soft skin of Regina's inner left thigh. "I want you to."

"Here? Now?"

"No one can see just where you hand has disappeared to and to anyone who happens to be looking our way, they'll just assume we're having a rather intimate conversation, sitting so closely just so we can hear each other over the noise."

"Then I guess we need to have a conversation to look like that's all we are doing," Emma whispered, licking over her lips as Regina's legs fell open a little wider. "What do you want to talk about, Regina?"

"I want to talk about how much I want to feel your fingers inside of me right now."

A surge of arousal flooded through Emma's body at hearing those words fall past Regina's lips. She moaned as her fingertips came into contact with Regina's wet center instead of panties she had expected to feel first. Regina's lips curled into a salacious smile as Emma slid a single finger between her folds.

"You knew we wouldn't last long trying this whole friends thing, didn't you?" Emma asked and Regina bit her bottom lip as Emma eased a finger inside of her. "You purposely wore this dress tonight, didn't you?"

"The dress, as I said before, was for show. The lack of panties however, was on purpose," Regina admitted, her breath hitching in her chest as Emma buried that one single finger to the hilt and stilled her hand from moving. "We could never just be friends, Emma. Even I know that."

Emma moaned as she felt Regina shudder when her thumb found its way to circle over her clit as she began to fuck her slowly with just one single finger, the tight dress making it impossible for Regina to spread her legs any wider so that she could really fuck her.

Regina gripped onto her wine glass as she struggled to keep herself composed, but the breathy sighs and quiet moans escaped past her lips as Emma added a second finger and fucked her slowly but deeply.

"I thought we were supposed to look like we're having an intimate conversation?" Emma teased as Regina forced herself to laugh, but it came out strangled as she moaned, unable to hold it back.

"If you think I can hold on to a conversation at the moment, you've clearly had a little too much to drink, darling."

"Clearly, so have you."

"Clearly since I'm letting you touch me like this in a crowded bar."

Emma chuckled as she felt Regina's hips start to subtly move against her hand and one hand went to grab on to Emma's left arm, gently squeezing it to encourage her to keep going. Emma turned to look around at the other patrons around the bar. Most were still dancing, other's took to the pool tables and dart boards and the rest were drinking, drowning whatever sorrows they were trying to let go of. Not one eye was on the two of them as she grinned as she thrust her fingers inside of Regina's pussy harder and faster as she felt her tremble against her, so close to coming undone.

"Let go," Emma whispered. "I know you want to. I know you need to."

"Emma…" Regina groaned quietly and she shook her head. She was going to cum, but she wasn't going to be able to keep from crying out as she did. "Kiss me," she uttered as Emma's fingers didn't slow. "Please."

Emma leaned in, complying with her wish, feeling her moan as her orgasm rippled through her body. Emma kissed her deeply as she stilled her fingers, keeping them buried inside of her. When she pulled apart, they were both panting and Emma pulled her hand out from between Regina's thighs and lifted her fingers to her lips.

She smiled around her fingers, tasting Regina for the first time in eleven years. Regina licked over her own lips, her eyes just dripping with sex as she watched Emma lick her fingers slowly. Emma shifted slightly, feeling her panties damp with arousal just from touching Regina and feeling her come undone right under everyone's oblivious noses.

As she dropped her hand to her lap, licking over her lips at the faintest taste of Regina still lingering, she grabbed her bottle of beer and didn't take her eyes off of Regina as she downed the rest of it.

"I uh, I'll be right back, Regina."

"Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom," Emma replied, sounding a little unsure of herself. "I'll be right back."

Emma moved out of the booth quickly and she didn't look back as she made her way to the bathroom. Thankfully it was empty and she panted heavily as she gripped at the sink with both hands and let her hair fall around her face as she closed her eyes.

It was hard for her to wrap her head around what had just happened. Regina had let her _fuck_ her in the booth in the middle of the packed bar with over fifty people surrounding them, oblivious of course as to what they were doing. Her heart was still racing as she found herself smiling. Regina had known before she came here tonight that things were going to lead up to where they were now.

It was true, they could never be friends, not when they shared a connection that ran deep and not when they loved each other still after so many years apart. She shook her head, laughing softly as she looked up in the mirror and stared at her reflection for a good long minute before she laughed again.

"This is insane," she muttered to herself as she turned on the water and wet her hands and touched her flushed cheeks. "Did that really just happen?"

"Yes, it did," Regina whispered as she walked up behind her.

"Regina?"

"Hmm?" She smiled as Emma shut off the tap and turned to look at her. "It was rather risqué of me to allow that to happen, but of course when it comes to you, I could never quite control myself."

"Oh my god, what are we doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"This? This isn't who we are, Regina. It isn't who we were then and it isn't now."

"We have had a few drinks, darling, and I like to believe we are just having a little bit too much fun here tonight together."

"Yeah, but—"

"Come here," Regina whispered huskily as she took both of Emma's hands in hers and led her to the furthest stall. "I came in here to return the favour."

She knocked the stall door shut with her hip and pushed Emma up against the wall. Emma gasped as Regina's hands went to her belt, tugging at it until it came undone and then her lips were on Emma's, kissing her hard and deep as she unzipped her jeans and pulled both her jeans and underwear down to her knees.

"Regina!" Emma gasped as Regina's lips moved to her neck, kissing and sucking at her pulse point as her hands gripped on to Emma's bare hips. She pulled back suddenly and brown eyes bore into hers and she licked over her lips, waiting for Regina to make the next move.

"This, perhaps, may not be who we are, but it is for tonight," Regina whispered, her lips just a hairsbreadth away from Emma's as she kept one hand on her bare hip and the other, she trailed her fingertips down the side of Emma's left thigh. "From the moment I saw you here in Storybrooke, I have been having these dreams about you."

"Dreams?"

"Yes," Regina chuckled throatily. "Dreams, darling." She paused as she looked between them, watching her hand as her fingertips danced over the top of Emma's thigh, not quite reaching their intended destination yet. It was driving Emma absolutely insane as wave after wave of lust and pleasure and arousal rolled through her body. "Dreams of making love to you once again, just like I used to. Dreams of taking you against the wall, just like this."

As their lips met again in an equally wild and wanton kiss as the last one, Regina's hand slipped between Emma's legs, her fingers teasing over her clit as she pushed her against the wall. Hard. Yet her touch was teasing and it was making Emma uncoil slowly, not quite reaching the place she needed to be in at the moment. As Regina pulled back from the kiss, she grinned in the most delectable way before she moved to kneel down in front of her, pulling one leg out of her jeans and smoothing her hands up Emma's inner thighs.

"The thing about dreams, darling, I'm going to make those ones come true and I didn't just take you up against the wall like this…" She grinned up at her as she moved to place a kiss on each thigh before continuing. "You came for me while I was on my knees and trying not to scream my name because of where we are."

"Regina…"

Emma gasped at the feel of Regina's tongue as she licked over her inner thigh, using her hands to nudge her legs apart. Emma almost stumbled as she widened her stance, her whole body trembling as she watched Regina tease her tongue over her skin ever so slowly. A part of her mind couldn't believe that Regina was kneeling in front of her, on a dirty bathroom floor in the Rabbit Hole, about to eat her out. The thought alone nearly made her cum, but she held it back, anticipating feeling Regina's lips and tongue on her once again. The memory of it had never faded from her mind, but she knew what was better than the memories, and the dreams she too also had.

She slid one hand through Regina's hair, groaning as she tangled her fingers around the soft strands, wanting nothing more than to guide Regina exactly where she needed her, wanted her. Her other hand grasped at the wall, finding nothing to grab on to, to anchor herself. She moaned as Regina's fingers spread her lips and her tongue dipped out for a taste of her.

"Regina…fuck…" Emma groaned as her eyes slid shut and she banged her head against the wall as Regina licked her again, more fully this time, leaving not one inch of her untouched.

Every touch, every lick, every nip at her clit had her nearly losing herself at the mercy of Regina's lips and tongue, but she teased her endlessly, her tongue dipping inside of her for mere seconds before it was gone. Emma was panting and groaning, gripping at Regina's head and she nearly had enough as she pulled her away from her aching core and stared down at her with heavy-lidded eyes.

"Stop teasing me," Emma said under her breath. "Please, Regina. No more teasing."

"Hmm?" Regina grinned as she licked over her lips before moving in to lick over her fully once more.

This time, however, she didn't tease. She deftly slipped two fingers inside of her as her lips wrapped around her throbbing clit. As another wave of arousal rolled through her body, she knew it wouldn't take much for her to come undone, not with the sight of Regina on her knees, eating her out right there in front of her.

"Fuck," Emma gasped as Regina was relentless, her fingers fucking her hard and fast, filling her deep as her tongue flicked over her clit before wrapping her lips around it again to suck on it hard. "Fuck, Regina!"

As her orgasm crashed through her body, she pulled Regina back up onto her feet, kissing her with everything that she had as Regina's fingers stayed buried inside of her.

Emma was sure of one thing as she lost herself in the kiss and that was that she _never_ wanted this night to end. And she knew exactly where they needed to go next…


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Notes: Just want to thank you guys for all your reviews! As always, I appreciate every single one of them and I love that you all love this story as much as I _love_ writing it! I do have to warn you that the updates might not be as frequent for the next few weeks, but I can give you one more chapter before this weekend is through to (hopefully) make up for going back to once a week updates :)**

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The room was unfamiliar as they stumbled through, the kiss all lips and tongue and teeth as they barely stopped long enough to shut the door behind them. After they had left the bathroom at the Rabbit Hole, it had been nearly impossible for either to keep their hands to themselves. The tab they had racked up was paid for and without question or hesitation, it was Emma leading Regina down the street towards the bed and breakfast.

They broke apart from each other as Emma ripped her jacket off and took a moment to look around the room. Yet her eyes didn't linger for long before they landed right back on Regina and with her raging libido, she felt another wave of arousal before she had her hands grasping on to Regina's hips, their lips meeting yet again in another intensely passionate kiss.

In her haze, Emma pulled back from Regina's lips and smiled as she motioned for her to wait for a moment. She picked her cell up from her jacket on the floor and quickly texted Ruby telling her she was staying in the room.

She barely even glanced at the reply before she tossed her phone down on her fallen jacket on the floor, her lips finding Regina's as she pulled the older woman towards the bed, her fingers already working at pulling down the small zipper at her side to get her out of her dress.

"Emma," Regina moaned quietly as she spun her around and stopped her suddenly, her hands finding Emma's and she gently intertwined their fingers. "There is no need to rush. We have all night, darling."

Emma frowned as she let go of Regina's hands and gently cupped her face, moving in to capture her lips once again. She felt Regina smile against her lips as she kicked off her high heels, the mere inches now making a difference as Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's body and kissed her deeper. She suddenly found herself being pushed down to the bed and she panted as she watched Regina effortlessly slip out of her dress and move to place it on top of the dresser.

Regina stood before her, completely nude and she blinked as she drank in the sight of her completely. Her own hands removed her t-shirt as she stood up from the bed and she moaned as Regina's hands moved to unbuckle her belt and unzip her jeans. It was a tangle of limbs as Emma struggled to get out of her clothes, both of them nearly desperate to fully feel one another the way they had so long ago.

Emma stood in front of Regina, revelling in the feel of the older woman's hands trailing up her arms, over her shoulders, up her neck and she closed her eyes as Regina cupped her face with both hands and placed a soft kiss on her slightly parted lips.

"Slow," Regina whispered against her lips, both of them taking a moment just to stand there together, Emma's hands slipping over Regina's bare hips as she held on to her gently. "It's been a long time, Emma."

"Yeah."

"I meant since I've been with anyone," she whispered, sounding so small and quiet and almost as if she was embarrassed to admit it. "You were the last one."

"What?" Emma tried not to look completely surprised, but she was. "Are you serious, Regina? You've never—I mean you told me that you hadn't dated, but you haven't been with anyone in the last eleven years?"

"No."

She kissed her gently, smiling against Regina's lips as they held on to each other, their bodies slightly swaying as they barely moved from the foot of the bed. Regina's arms encircled her body as she kissed her again, still smiling as she leaned back to stare into lust filled brown eyes.

"I am going to worship you," she whispered and she felt the slight trembled that flowed through Regina's body. "I am going to do everything I can to make up for the last eleven years your body has gone without a loving," she kissed her again as she turned her towards the bed, "tender," another kiss as her fingers danced over soft skin, "touch."

"Emma…"

She was trying to be graceful, but the amount of alcohol flowing through her body still made her efforts to lay Regina down on the bed ended with her nearly missing the bed. Embarrassment flushed her cheeks as Regina giggled and held tight on to Emma.

"Oh shit," Emma groaned. "Maybe we shouldn't have drank so much."

"It's fine," Regina smiled and she moved slowly, glancing over her own shoulder before she pulled Emma down on to the bed with her. "See? No harm, no foul."

Emma grinned as she lay flush on top of Regina and she took a moment just to stare down into Regina's eyes. She saw what she used to always see before, the look of adoration, of love, of lust, of yearning. She never thought she'd ever see Regina look at her like that again and she loved the way that it made her feel.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you ever…be with anyone else?" Emma asked quietly.

"If you recall, I am the Mayor of this town, Emma. For the last five years I've been what most would say rather dedicated to my work. I hadn't bothered for several reasons and are you sure you want to be talking about this now?" Regina asked as she smoothed her hands down Emma's bare back and gripped at her ass, grinning as Emma moved against her. "Because I can think of other things we could be doing instead of using our lips and tongues to talk right now."

Emma groaned as she moved to slip a leg between Regina's and a wave of arousal rushed through her body when she felt how wet Regina was for her. Because of her. Despite it having been a long time since they were together, their bodies remembered, every touch, every kiss, it felt like it had only been days and not years since they'd been together last.

"Yeah, I think you're right," Emma whispered, her lips ghosting over Regina's before she captured them in a bruising kiss. "But I also didn't forget that I am going to worship you tonight, Regina, because you deserve nothing more than that."

"And I am supposed to do what, exactly? Lay here like a pillow queen while you do said worshipping?"

Emma grinned at Regina's teasing tone. She'd missed this, the little things, the way they were when they were together whether they were in bed or just lounging on the couch together with a movie playing neither ever paid much attention to.

"Absolutely."

"Darling, you know that I like to give as well as I receive."

"Then you'll just have to wait your turn, babe."

"Babe?"

Emma chuckled as she kissed away the slight frown that slipped over Regina's lips. In her drunken haze, Emma had all but managed to keep herself from having names like that slip out because when it came to using pet names, she'd never used them with Regina and it was always Regina using them when it came to her. It was just the way it was between them and she even remembered now of a stupid little fight they had over it more than twice in the time they were together.

She shook her head, smiling down at Regina before she moved her lips to her neck because there were other things she wanted to be thinking about and it was only how good Regina's skin tasted as she dipped out her tongue and licked over her jumping pulse point. She closed her eyes as Regina's fingers slid through her hair and she lost herself at the feel of Regina's fingers against her scalp, gently stroking as her breath hitched in her chest as Emma nipped at her skin lightly.

Taking her time to kiss over soft, warm skin, Emma made the descent down from her neck slow, her lips and tongue teasing at soft skin, her eyes following the wet trail her tongue left on heated flesh. She flicked her eyes over hardening dark nipples and she teased at each point with the tip of her tongue, watching as Regina inhaled deeply, soft moans escaping past her lips with every little touch.

How many times had she thought of a moment like this, how many dreams had she had that felt so real and yet weren't as real as this? She smiled, unable to stop as she nuzzled her face against the softness of Regina's breast. She placed a hand just over her heart, feeling it racing beneath her palm.

Regina threaded her fingers through Emma's hair gently and as she lifted her head, she was greeted with a smile as Regina stared down at her, watching her, waiting for her to continue.

She returned the smile, moving to lay between Regina's spread legs, feeling her wetness against her stomach as she lowered her lips to kiss over Regina's smooth skin just above her navel. Regina arched her back, her body reacting to every little touch, every little kiss, every little taste that Emma took

She had tasted Regina on her fingers at the Rabbit Hole and she tasted exactly like she remembered, and it had driven her crazy when Regina had taken her in the bathroom and she never had the chance to take her too. And that was exactly what she was going to do, taste her, drink her in whole until Regina _begged_ her to stop.

She quirked an eyebrow as she moved lower, her eyes laying upon Regina's pussy as she used her fingers to spread her lips apart. She wasted no more time, moving in quickly and dragging the flat of her tongue over her, tasting her fully and loving the sweet yet salty and musky taste of Regina.

"Oh, Emma," Regina moaned loudly as she slipped her hands out of her hair and gripped at the dusty rose bedspread, arching her back and rolling her hips against Emma's lips and tongue.

Emma grinned against her and she inhaled deeply before spreading her wider and sliding her tongue deep inside of her clenching quivering hole. She looked up at Regina, catching her eye and she knew that Regina had always loved watching her when she was between her legs as she was now. It wouldn't take her long to tumble over the edge completely and Emma already knew she was close.

Regina didn't hold back and the sight of her as her orgasm took her over suddenly and quickly was the most beautiful sight Emma had ever seen. Yet she didn't stop as she continued to fuck her with her tongue, drinking her in as she used one hand to hold her hips firm against the bed and the other to circle over her clit, drawing her orgasm out, one she had a feeling Regina had been holding on to for far too long.

"Emma, darling," she gasped as she stared down at her. "Just…I need a moment…"

"Mmm?" Emma hummed against her, feeling her body shake as the orgasm drew out, seconds feeling like minutes as she didn't move from her spot between Regina's legs.

Her eyes never left Regina's gaze as she leaned back, gasping for breath as she deftly slipped two fingers inside of her. She grinned as she turned her head to the side and nipped at Regina's inner thigh, eliciting a squeal and a moan, a sound she only heard in her dreams for years, and it was a sound she was going to make sure she heard plenty more of all night long.

She licked over the skin she'd nipped, remembering all the times she had marked Regina there, a place only her eyes ever saw. The urge to mark her as hers was too much to resist and she licked over the skin again and sucked the supple flesh between her lips. Her fingers, buried deep inside of Regina's core, moved slowly yet surly, yet the ache between her own legs couldn't be ignored for much longer. She needed Regina, she needed all of her, she needed to feel her pressed up against her, and she needed to come undone with her.

As she placed a few gentle kisses over the spot she'd just marked on Regina's otherwise flawless skin, she crawled up her body, her fingers stilling inside of her as she nuzzled her nose against her lover's, smiling as Regina's hands grasped at her back, short and perfectly manicured nails digging into her kiss as they kissed hungrily.

"Regina…" Emma whispered as she opened her eyes and smiled as Regina's fluttered open after a moment. "Can we really have this again?"

"Yes, we can."

"What happens when I have to go back to New York?"

"We will cross that bridge when the time comes, darling, although I'm sure you can find a way to meet me halfway, spend a weekend holed up in Boston with me, just like that time we went there before."

"And we never left the room."

"We did, for short periods of time."

"Do you still have those pants?" Emma asked and it drew out the sexiest laugh she'd ever heard fall past those full, smiling lips she couldn't seem to stop kissing. "You do, don't you?"

"That…will be a conversation for another time, darling, I believe we agreed there are much better things we can be doing with our lips and tongue instead of talking."

"You agreed, not me."

"Emma—"

She quieted her with another kiss, one that was just as desperately passionate as the one before, but softer, surer and it gave her a moment just to really lose herself in the woman she knew she was falling in love with all over again and there was nothing she could do to stop herself either.

Emma slipped her fingers out from inside of Regina, breaking away from her lips for a moment as she moved against Regina, sliding one leg under one of hers before she could feel her fully against her.

"Fuck," Emma moaned as it felt better than she ever remembered it feeling. Regina bit her bottom lip as she gripped on to Emma's hips as she leaned back, moving against her hard and fast.

With one hand by their tangled legs, she reached between their bodies, her fingers spreading both of them as she rolled her hips down harder, creating the most delicious friction between them. Regina grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers as they moved together, finding the perfect rhythm in seconds, making it feel as if no time had passed between them.

Their moans and sighs filled the otherwise quiet of the room and faintly she could hear thunder rolling in the distance, a coming storm approaching, very much like the one that was brewing between them. Neither could take their eyes away from one another as wave after wave of arousal flooded through their bodies.

A loud crack of thunder drown out both their moans and Emma fell forward, her body moulding against Regina's as they could only hold on to one another as they came down from the high their joined orgasms had given them both.

"Mmm," Emma sighed contently as Regina's fingers threaded through her hair, fingertips barely touching her back when she reached the curly ends. "Regina!" Emma squeaked out as she suddenly found herself on her back. "What are you doing?"

"We've been apart far too long for me to be nothing more than a pillow queen," she grinned salaciously down at Emma.

As the storm raged outside, they took each other throughout the night in new ways and old ways, remembering everything they had together, making love for hours until the storm rolled out the sun slowly started to rise in the sky. It was only then that Regina whispered for her to sleep. Emma didn't want their night to end, but sleep quickly took her as they laid under soft sheets in each others arms, exactly right where they both wanted to be.

* * *

Regina groaned quietly, her whole body aching in ways she hadn't felt in so long, ways that felt so good. Just as good as the warm body she could feel against her back with a strong arm draped over her, holding her close.

A smile curled over still kiss swollen lips as she remembered the hours she'd spent with Emma making love all throughout the night. It made her feel everything she had longed to feel again and it was a feeling she did not want to let go of, no matter what. She would do, she realized in her waking moments, whatever it would take to keep Emma Swan in her life from that day forward, despite the obvious complications of Emma only being there for the next two months.

Two months. That was less time than they'd had before, but Regina knew that her leaving would not mean it would be just like before. Distance would be worrisome, but if they could still feel the way they do after eleven years, a couple hundred miles would be nothing to overcome. Of course, Regina knew that would be something they'd have to discuss, but in her mind, in her lust filled mind and her heart filling with love all over again, she knew they would find a way to make it work.

"Mmm," Emma murmured into her neck, nuzzling her nose just under her ear as she took woke, the few hours they had slept not nearly enough. "Can't we just stay here all day, Regina?"

"Right here?"

"Yeah."

Slowly Regina turned in Emma's arms and was greeted by the most beautiful smile she'd ever laid eyes upon. "I would love to, darling."

"Why do I feel that you're going to continue that with a 'but', Regina?"

"Because Sunday's I have brunch with my mother and several friends, hers and mine."

"And on Wednesday's we wear pink," Emma muttered and it drew out a hearty laugh from Regina. "Don't tell me you've seen that movie?"

"I may run this town, darling, but that doesn't mean I don't indulge in silly little movies from time to time. How else do you think I passed time on some lonely nights?"

Regina had missed this, sharing little moments like this with Emma early in the morning after a long, nearly sleepless night. She lightly stroked her fingers over the side of Emma's face, brushing aside strands of blond hair before leaning in for a soft kiss. She stole a quick glance over Emma to look at the clock and she sighed, frowning as she leaned in for one last kiss.

"You have to go now, don't you?"

"I must."

Emma nodded slowly, smiling as she leaned in for another kiss. "I can't convince you to stay?"

"I have been out all night," Regina said and she hated how that sounded and how it felt to say it. "I do promise, once my mother is out of my home, things will be very different for us."

"You have a curfew?" Emma teased and it made Regina roll her eyes. "Fine," she huffed and kissed her one last time. "I'm going to go back to sleep before I drive back to the cottage."

"I will call you later, darling," Regina promised her as she placed a light kiss to Emma's forehead, her eyes already closing as she gave in to the pull of sleep.

It took every ounce of her being to fight the feeling that made her want to stay right there in bed, curled up with Emma, spend the day there and forgetting about the rest of the world, but she had responsibilities and a reputation to uphold and that would be something she could never allow to be tampered with.

She picked up her dress she'd laid out on the dresser and slipped it on, her eyes not leaving Emma's body laying in the bed, the sheets coming to rest just above her hips, her bare back exposed to the slight coolness that lingered in the air. After a quick trip to the bathroom to try to make herself somewhat presentable for the drive home, she slipped out of the room and headed towards the stairs, her heels clicking against the wood floor quietly. She couldn't help but feel that lightness that filled her heart, a heart that had felt too broken, too heavy for too long.

Regina mouthed a silent thank you to herself that the residents of Storybrooke were not early risers on Sunday mornings and she retrieved her car from where she parked it just down the street from the Rabbit Hole and made the quick drive home, a quiet wish made that hoped her mother hadn't discovered she'd never returned home last night.

She pulled off her heels once she was out of her car and quietly yet quickly let herself in the front door and she was up the stairs, a slight feeling of giddiness as she made it to her bedroom and locked the door behind her. Smiling, she dropped her shoes to the floor and unzipped her dress, this time allowing it to fall to the floor as she walked to the en suite to shower.

It didn't matter what she tried, she couldn't stop smiling. She was _happy_ and every bit of it showed. Despite her exhaustion showing as well, with some carefully applied makeup, that disappeared quite easily. She dressed in a black pencil skirt and paired it with a red button-down silk shirt, choosing to wear the Louboutin heels she'd had on the night before. Giving herself the once over in the mirror, she slipped out of her bedroom and joined her mother down in the front hallway.

"Morning, dear," Cora said with a tight smile.

"Good morning, Mother."

"You'll be driving today."

"Is there something wrong with your car?"

"No, dear, I simply do not feel up for the drive this morning."

Regina nodded, gathering up her keys and her purse before leading the way out the front door and out to her car, making sure to hold the passenger door open for her mother before climbing in behind the wheel. She wasn't in the mood for any more small talk with her mother because if there was one thing that Cora Mills was good at, it was destroying any little bit of happiness in others. As soon as she had the car started, she quickly flipped the radio, finding music that suited her mother more than herself and she set off for Storybrooke Country Club, nearly a forty minute drive outside of town.

Over an hour later, she was wandering the gardens with Kathryn as her mother and a few of her mother's dear friends waited in the lounge for their table to be prepared. Regina had hidden that happiness from her mother, but she most definitely could not keep it from Kathryn.

"What is going on with you this morning, Regina?"

"What? Nothing," she smiled coyly as she sipped from the champagne glass she carried, a sweet tasting cider inside. She knew she couldn't keep Emma a secret from Kathryn and she hadn't planned on it. "She's here, Kathryn."

"What? No!" Kathryn stopped short on the path in the middle of the garden and moved to stand directly in front of Regina. "Are you serious, Regina? _She_ is really here in Storybrooke?"

"She just might be."

"And you saw her last night, didn't you?" Kathryn asked, her own grin slipping out as Regina smiled wide and felt her cheeks flush. "Oh, Regina, you didn't!"

"I might have."

The blonde tittered as they continued walking and she bumped her hip into Regina's as she laughed quietly. "And are you just going to leave me completely hanging here or do I need to start fishing for details?"

"And you will get none, Kathryn Nolan!"

She grinned, pulling out a bigger smile from Regina as they continued to walk through the gardens together. "I believe I know that smile, Regina Mills, and you just had some of the best sex of your life last night, didn't you?"

"I might have."

"Oh, you so did!"

The two erupted in giggles, a stark contrast to the poised and coiffed, professional and mature women they had become, far too easily reverting to their younger selves. It had been a long time since she had acted this way with her life-long best friend, and she knew from the way that Kathryn's eyes just sparkled that she was enjoying this just as much as she was. They came to a stop in the middle of the gardens, choosing to sit on the stone bench near one of the handful of apple trees throughout.

"Tell me everything."

"A lady doesn't kiss and tell."

"Fine," Kathryn sighed as she sipped her own cider. "Tell me everything _else_. What on earth is Emma Swan doing in Storybrooke and how on earth did you two end up together last night?"

While Regina told her everything she could, she kept her eyes and ears peeled for any sign of her mother or someone else that could potentially overhear their conversation. She did have a reputation to uphold after all and some of the things she was telling Kathryn could destroy everything her family had built there in Storybrooke over the last couple of decades. While she didn't quite care about the family legacy, her mother did and for as long as her mother was still alive, she'd had to do her part in making sure that it continued.

Kathryn was quite enamoured with the story Regina spun for her. She had always been on her side, supporting her during and after her relationship with Emma Swan. It had been Kathryn who had tried to set Regina up with women that didn't live in Storybrooke over the years, women who looked similar to Emma Swan but never were. Dates were set up and gone out on, most of which Regina never actually faced the other woman, knowing just from the first look without meeting them that it wasn't going to work out.

She told Kathryn of what they'd spoken about the day before and how things led to where they did when they met at the Rabbit Hole. While Kathryn showed her obvious distaste over the fact that Regina would even allow herself to be seen in that establishment, Regina had no qualms about her presence there at all.

"What happens now, Regina?" Kathryn asked as they finished off their cider and heard the bell, indicating that the dining room was now open and ready for brunch. "Are you two going to try to be together?"

"Yes, we are."

"And what about your mother?"

"I can deal with my mother, Kathryn."

"Hmm? This won't be like it was in New York. Do you really think you can be with Emma and hide it from your mother? You and I both know how much she likes to know absolutely every little detail about your life and will do nothing to stop herself from finding out any and all secrets that you attempt to keep from her."

"Like I said, dear, I can deal with my mother," Regina repeated, her smile not faltering despite some growing concerns that were beginning to surface. "Kathryn, can I ask you something?"

"Anything, dear," she smiled as they paused just at the entrance to the garden.

"I am not crazy for pursuing this, am I?"

"Do you love her?" Kathryn asked, rolling her eyes before she could answer her. "Of course you do. So, no, you are not crazy for pursuing this, Regina, you are however playing with fire if you think your mother is never going to find out."

"Let's make sure she never does," Regina said quietly. "It is bad enough she has taken to living in my house while hers is being remodelled. It'll require a few little creative and strategic evasion tactics, but it's not like I have never done that with her before."

"I suppose I can convince Linda to invite her to tea, it has been years since they've been close."

"Your step-mother?"

"You know she and Cora used to be so close before your father's passing. Perhaps it's time they reconcile their friendship again. I can speak with her later," Kathryn smiled and she linked her arm through Regina's. "Come now, let's not keep your mother waiting."

"We can't have that."

"Of course not, dear."

They were giggling until the reached the french doors that led inside the country club, doors that were opened by a man who bowed his head as they walked inside. It was Kathryn who led the way to the dining room and to the usual table they sat at every Sunday morning.

Unlike most Sunday brunches, there was usually a party of six or more, but today it was just four of them. Regina saw her mother and Eva, a friend yet also an enemy of her mother's seated at the table, waiting for her and Kathryn to join them.

"Hello, Eva," Regina smiled politely at the woman seated to her mother's left. They shook hands before Kathryn said her hello's and they took their seats. "Where are the others today, Mother?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you it'd just be the four of us this morning?" Cora asked, her tone sharp but light as she smiled over at Eva and then Kathryn. "I was just telling Eva how you had a date last night, dear."

"Mother, please, I don't want to talk about that," Regina groaned and she snapped her fingers at the waiter. "Could I have another cider, please?"

Regina ignored the pointed look her mother gave her, smiling at the waiter as he nodded and quickly went off to retrieve her a fresh glass of cider. It was going to be a long morning and one she knew wouldn't end soon enough.

"I'll have you know that my dear daughter did not return home last night after her date. I believe we all know what happened," Cora chuckled as she leaned towards Eva. "I cannot tell you how long it has been for Regina, dear. It's rather a relief she's taken to dating someone new." Regina's cheeks were flushed and she wanted to slap Kathryn as she tried to stifle her laughter. "Who is he, dear? Anyone any of us know?"

"No, Mother," Regina replied quietly, taking her cider from the waiter before he could place it on the table in front of you. "It's nobody that you know."

"But you were out all night, dear. Surely this man has finally captured your undivided attention to warrant a very long date that led into the wee hours of the morning," Cora tittered, lifting her glass of wine to her lips in an attempt to hide that cruel little smirk Regina was so used to seeing. "She has that smitten look, doesn't she, Eva?"

Kathryn shot Regina a pointed look as she shook her head subtly. She had heard it from Kathryn for years that she should just tell her mother that it's not men she is interested in dating. There had been plenty of opportunities for her to express that, to finally come out to her mother after half a lifetime of keeping it from her, but this wasn't the time nor the place—it never was and Regina was convinced there never would be.

Before she could allow her mother to launch into her usual tirade, she knew she had to come up with a believable lie to stop her from discussing her private life and asking her if she believed this "man" to be marriage material.

"Actually, Mother, the date didn't go very well at all," Regina said and the look she received from her mother reminded her of the one she got when she was a child and misbehaving. "I ended things early and ran into Emma, you know the woman you met the other day?"

"Oh, your old friend from New York City?" Cora asked, her words dry and suddenly sounding uninterested. "And pray tell, what were you doing out all night with her?"

"We ended up spending the night talking, both of us completely losing track of time."

Regina shot Kathryn a glare when she caught her rolling her eyes at her. It didn't matter how old she was, her mother still made a point in knowing every little detail of her life and it had become more than a chore to keep some parts of her life to herself, her past and currently renewed relationship with Emma the biggest secret of them all. She hated living this way, but having a mother like Cora Mills, she had no other choice.

She downed her entire glass of cider and felt her body grow tense under the careful quiet scrutiny her mother was putting her under. Before she could get the waiter's attention, her mother shook her head no and pushed the water goblet towards her.

"You've had enough, dear. You _are_ driving today, don't forget that," Cora said, her tone sounding like she was scolding a young child and not a grown woman.

Just like it always turned around when she was anywhere with her mother and in a good mood, that mood was quickly wiped away by her mother being Cora. Regina excused herself once they ordered their meal and she made her way to one of the private bathrooms, the tears burning before she could even close the door behind her.

Her hands were shaking as she stood at the sink and gripped on to the edge, tears falling from her eyes as her purse fell from the edge where she'd placed it. She was shaking as she knelt on the floor to pick up the things that had fallen out and scattered all over the floor.

This would be the last Sunday brunch she would be attending and although her mother would be severely disappointed in her, there was no way she was going through something like this ever again. Her mother had destroyed her happiness for far too long and she was done allowing for that to continue any longer.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Notes: Thanks for your continued support and love for this story, truly I can't thank you guys enough! (well I can with more chapters, but I digress) Anyway, enjoy :)**

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It was late in the afternoon and Emma was swinging idly in the hammock, watching Ruby and Henry chase each other around the yard with toy water guns Ruby had bought for Henry to play with. She had stayed in the room at the Inn, sleeping for hours before she finally got herself out of bed, showered, dressed in her clothes from the night before and checked out. She returned to the cottage to the scene that was still playing out in front of her and she had yet to be alone in Ruby's presence which meant so far, she hadn't had to tell Ruby what had happened the night before.

She had woken for the second time, her body still deliciously sore in ways it hadn't been sore for ages. She loved that feeling, the burn in her muscles as she stretched out under the hot spray of the water in the shower. While she had been drying off, she noticed just under a dozen love-bites that Regina had left behind, a reminder of their night together and thankfully most weren't visible, except for the one on the left side of her neck she only just vaguely recalled receiving not long before they had finally fallen asleep in each other's arms.

Emma knew before she left the Inn and drove back to the cottage that she was in trouble. Her heart had given itself to Regina completely and she had no idea how she was going to deal with going back home at the end of August. She did have a whole other life to get back to, one she just couldn't drop because she'd fallen back in love with the only woman she truly, deeply loved more than anything in the world.

She turned her head and smiled as she watched Henry chase Ruby around on the grass, stream after stream of water flowing out of his toy water gun as she shrieked and tried to find cover. For every moment of Henry's life, Emma had tried to make sure his life, his entire childhood, was everything she never had. His happiness was all that truly mattered to her, but in recent weeks she knew that her own happiness mattered too. Even after Henry had learned about Regina, with the briefest of details, he told her he wanted to see her truly happy again and the only one that could make her feel that way was the woman she loved and was falling in love with all over again.

Emma was so consumed in watching the scene unfold in front of her that she nearly fell out of the hammock when Regina rounded the corner of the cottage and Henry got her with the water gun square in the chest, dousing her red blouse completely. She froze as Regina did and Henry, his eyes went wide as he dropped his toy gun to the ground the instant Ruby came up behind him, still oblivious to what had just happened and squirted him in the back of the head.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Henry gasped with eyes wide as he backed away from Regina. He spun around, his face red as he pointed up at Ruby. "I thought she was you!"

"It's quite all right," Regina replied evenly as Emma approached them. "Hello, Emma," she smiled at her. "I don't suppose you have a dry shirt I can borrow? It seems as if I got caught in the crossfire."

"Hey," Emma smiled back at her and she nodded. "I have something you could wear."

It seemed almost natural for Emma to reach for Regina's hand and intertwine their fingers as they walked to the back door. She chewed her bottom lip as she led Regina through the kitchen, hoping she would ignore the mess from the lunch Henry and Ruby made earlier as she led her towards the stairs. Neither said a word until they reached the bedroom where Emma had her clothes and she suddenly found herself wrapped up in Regina's arms.

"You're wet."

"I am," Regina chuckled as she leaned in to kiss her softly. "I guess that'll teach me to try to surprise you, darling."

Emma smiled, her whole body humming as Regina kissed her once more before backing away and slowly began unbuttoning her red blouse. She watched her for a moment before opening up a drawer where most of her shirts were folded neatly. A small wave of embarrassment washed over her when she realized she didn't have anything nearly as nice as any of Regina's clothes to offer the other woman. She turned to look at Regina for a moment, watching as she pulled her soaked blouse off and revealing a red lacy bra that she wore underneath.

"Uh, I don't really have anything that goes with, you know, that skirt."

"Anything will be fine, darling, it shouldn't take long for it to dry out."

When Emma hesitated, Regina moved to pull out a white button up shirt and slipped it on, buttoned it up and sighed as she smoothed the soft cotton over her skin as Emma watched her with appreciative eyes. She instantly found herself locked in another kiss, one that wasn't nearly as chaste as the others and she moaned as Regina pushed her up against the dresser, her hands unable to keep from wandering over Emma's body.

"Regina," Emma whispered as she pushed at her shoulders. "Uh, we're not exactly alone here."

"They are outside," Regina whispered, moving her lips to Emma's neck as she pushed back her hair. "Can't I have a moment to kiss you hello?" She murmured against Emma's skin, her tongue dipping out to trace over the love-bite she'd left hours ago.

"Hi," Emma grinned as Regina's eyes became level with her own a moment later.

"Hmm," Regina smiled right back at her.

"Weren't you supposed to be having brunch with your mother and your friends?"

"I did, hours ago," Regina replied. "It was a complete disaster. As soon as I dropped my mother off at the house, I came straight here."

"Not that I'm complaining, but why?"

"I wanted to see you especially after the day I've been having," Regina replied quietly, her voice sounding almost timid and it was something Emma had never heard coming from her. "Is it not okay that I'm here?"

"No, it's fine," Emma smiled. "I just didn't expect to see you today."

Regina smiled as she moved out of Emma's embrace and looked around the small, cluttered room. Along with Emma's things, Ruby's stuff was everywhere and Emma's cheeks burned in embarrassment at the mess. She picked up her wet blouse from the unmade bed and walked over to the wardrobe. She plucked out a hanger and eased the shirt on to it before moving to hang it from the top of the door frame in the open door. Emma couldn't seem to take her eyes off of Regina, especially her legs and how good they looked in the heels she wore and how her pencil skirt flowed over the slight curve of her hips and hugged her thighs perfectly.

Emma chewed on her bottom lip as she let her eyes fall to Regina's ass and groaned quietly as flashes of the memory of seeing that ass completely naked as she had pulled her dress on made pure pleasure run through her body.

She pulled her hair over her shoulders, effectively hiding the love-bite once again. They weren't alone and if she knew her son, and she knew him well, they wouldn't be alone upstairs for much longer. She walked up to Regina and smiled as she turned to her, her fingers dropping from tending to her wet blouse hanging on the hanger.

"I'm not much of a cook," Emma said quietly as she snaked her arms around Regina's waist. "But Ruby is and we have more than enough."

"Are you asking me to stay for dinner?"

"Yes."

She wasn't sure how Regina would feel about staying, especially with Henry there, but she had to try. If their relationship was going to work, Regina would have to accept Henry one way or another or else Emma knew that despite what they felt, it wouldn't work out at all between them. She also didn't want to force Regina to accept Henry either because she knew that could have complications itself, and she didn't want Henry becoming attached to her if, for some reason or another, things ended between them.

"Will you?" Emma asked when Regina hadn't answered her. "I'll understand if you don't want to, Regina."

"And what are you having for dinner?"

"Steak."

"Hmm?"

"Baked potatoes," Emma continued and she knew that look on Regina's face all too well and she grinned as she leaned in to kiss her softly. "We have salad too."

"You do, do you?"

"Yeah," she chuckled quietly and stole another kiss. "I want you to stay."

"I'll stay for dinner, darling," Regina replied and it was her who stole the next kiss. "Only because you want me to."

"I'm sorry that Henry, you know, shot you with his water gun."

Regina tried to keep the smile from curling over her lips and Emma laughed, stealing one more kiss before letter her arms drop away from her hips. She reached for Regina's right hand and intertwined their fingers as she led the way down the stairs, through the kitchen and out the back door.

Henry and Ruby were still chasing each other around, although Ruby called a time out as soon as she saw Emma and Regina standing by the back door. Henry dropped his toy gun, his eyes wide as he stared directly at Regina and when Emma beckoned him to come over, he hesitated until Emma gave him the look that she would normally give him when he was in trouble.

"Henry," Emma started as she let go of Regina's hand and looked down at her son. She sighed and ran her hand over his head as she made him move a little closer to Regina. He hesitated, of course, as he stared up at the brunette. "I think you owe someone an apology, don't you think?"

"I said I was sorry already."

"It's all right, Emma."

"Henry," Emma said sternly because she knew her son, she knew how stubborn he could be and the half-assed, spur of the moment sorry he'd uttered before just wasn't good enough. "I want you to mean it this time."

"I'm sorry I shot you with my water gun, Madam Mayor," Henry said quietly, his cheeks flushing as his eyes lowered to the ground. "I'll be more careful next time."

"It's okay, Henry," Regina smiled warmly at him. "You thought I was Ruby. I shouldn't have tried to surprise your mother when there was clearly a war going on between the two of you. Luckily, your mother has given me a dry shirt until mine dries out. No harm, no fowl. And please," she paused as Henry finally lifted his eyes to look at her. "Please call me Regina."

"Is she staying for dinner?" Henry asked Emma and she smiled as she nodded her head. "Are you gonna stay for s'mores after, Regina?" Henry asked her, his tone immediately lighter than it had been before. "Mom makes the best s'mores."

"S'mores for dessert?" Regina asked with a small smile. "I suppose I could stay for that as well."

Emma watched as Henry smiled up at her and he headed inside, muttering about needing to change his clothes and how he would exact his revenge on Ruby another day. Ruby dropped her water gun and walked towards them, smiling at Emma before looking over at Regina.

"Hello, Regina."

"Ruby," Regina nodded at her. "How are you?"

"I'm good. You?"

"Fine, thank you," Regina smiled through the formal exchange. Once Ruby disappeared inside, she turned to Emma again. "Just like you, she hasn't changed at all."

"Look, I'm sorry about Henry—"

"It's perfectly fine," Regina said as she embraced Emma, holding her close. "There really wasn't any need to have him apologize again."

"He should've been paying attention."

"He's just a child, Emma," Regina replied. "Children don't think too far ahead when they are playing and having fun. It was just water, it's not as if my blouse is ruined."

"I know, but—"

"Drop it," Regina said tightly. "I told you it is fine. I am not even upset that your son shot me with his silly little toy water gun."

"Sorry."

Regina sighed as she leaned forward and kissed Emma softly and surely, effectively putting an end to the conversation. They entered the house after stealing a few moments outside alone and they ended up sitting on the couch in the living room, neither able to keep their hands or lips away from one another. They did, however, manage to keep things fairly respectable and broke apart as the first footfalls were heard descending the stairs.

Henry rolled his eyes at Emma as he walked past them and into the kitchen to help Ruby clean up and prepare dinner. Alone again, they stole a few more kisses before Henry yelled out that it was gross having to see his mother kissing someone else.

"He does not like me, does he?"

"I'm thinking he's thinking the same thing about you," Emma replied quietly. "It'll get better, won't it?"

"It will. It will also take time. For me and for him."

"Maybe not so much for him, he's a kid full of hope and all he wants is to see me happy. I don't think he's ever seen me like this in his whole life and that's because you weren't there and I couldn't recover from my broken heart. He knows you make me happy, so he definitely doesn't hate you. He just doesn't know you other than the things I've told him about you."

Regina nodded, frowning slightly as she rolled up the sleeves of her borrowed shirt. She turned a little on the couch and draped her arm over the back, her fingers playing with the edge of Emma's hair as she just stared longingly at her.

"What?" Emma asked, smiling at the older woman who had stolen her heart all over again in a matter of days.

"You're so beautiful, Emma," Regina replied, licking over her lips slowly. "I find it is becoming quite impossible to imagine going a day without seeing you while you're here this summer."

"Then don't," Emma chuckled. "We can see each other every day if that's what you want. Five minutes or five hours, just as long as I get to see you."

"I do have to work during the day," Regina said and she idly chewed her bottom lip for a moment before he eyes lit up. "Perhaps you could join me in my office for lunch tomorrow?"

"In your office? For lunch?" Emma raised an eyebrow as she leaned in closer. "Are you sure we're going to actually eat lunch or am I going to be eating you?"

"I believe _you_ will also be on the menu."

Emma swallowed hard as she turned to look into the kitchen, making sure that Henry wasn't eavesdropping on them right that moment. Relief washed over her when she saw him at the sink, rinsing off the lettuce before ripping it up to put it in the bowl to his right. Regina smiled cheekily at her when she turned to look at her again.

Had they really just fallen back into this place in a matter of days? Could it really be that easy to be together after years of hurt, years of longing. They had talked, but Emma knew it wasn't enough, but for now she'd let it go and just enjoy what time she did have with Regina. For all she knew, things might not end up working out after she and Henry were back in New York. And for all she knew, maybe all they had was that summer together, a brief and new exploration of a rekindled relationship.

All that pain, all that hurt, it had disappeared after their night at the bar and the long night they spent learning each other's curves and every sigh and every moan all over again. She knew she wouldn't survive losing Regina again, but she also knew she had to prepare herself in case that time ever did come, whether at the end of the summer in Storybrooke, or at another time. She couldn't fall apart to pieces like before, not when she had Henry to take care of and an entirely different life to live.

What ever happened to taking things slow? She had wanted that at first, but the night they had last night had changed everything. The alcohol they had consumed had broke down obvious walls they'd built up between themselves and the more that Emma thought about it, the more she knew that even when she had her own doubts about this and how quickly they seemed to dive back into old habits together, this was it. It was it for her. Regina was and always would be the only one she would love so deeply and for so long and Regina was the only one she'd ever want, nobody else would ever be able to be better for her than Regina Mills.

She remembered hearing a long time ago that you never forgot your first love, but Emma knew there was more to that when it came to finding one's soulmate, their one true love. Once you fall in love with the one you're meant to be with, it stays with you forever whether the relationship stays solid or falls apart completely.

She truly did feel like she was eighteen again. That fluttering feeling in her heart just being beside Regina making her feel like she was falling in love with her for the first time. Even the first time, they'd fallen in love so hard, so fast, that they barely blinked at the fact that they had told each other they loved each other just mere weeks into their budding romance.

"Where did you go just now?" Regina asked, the smile not straying from her red lips.

"Nowhere," Emma smiled back. "I'm here with you right now."

"You used to do that a lot before, letting your thoughts whisk you away for moments at a time. You get this look in your eyes and it's beautiful watching your emotions play out without you even telling me what you are thinking about."

"You."

"Me?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded and she shifted closer to Regina on the couch, bringing them even closer than they had been before. "I was thinking about us. Thinking of what is going to happen between us and knowing in my heart that I am not going to let you go this time, no matter what."

Regina stopped her before she could lean in to kiss her again, shaking her head as she indicated with a shake of her head towards the kitchen. "Your son could see us."

"They're outside," Emma confirmed when she paused to listen for the sounds of Henry and Ruby in the kitchen. "They're probably cooking up the steaks on the barbecue right now." She wiggled her eyebrows playfully as she beckoned Regina to lean in closer. "I want you to kiss me, Regina, and really I don't care if Henry or anyone else sees us kissing because when I'm with you…"

"The whole world slips away," Regina finished just before their lips met in a soft kiss.

Oh, she had definitely missed feeling this way, being able to kiss the only person she loved like this. All she wanted was for them to be alone so she could take Regina there on the couch, over and over again. The faintest sound of Henry's laughter coming in from outside reminded her that they were most definitely not alone, but it didn't stop her from pulling Regina to sit sideways on her lap and deepen the kiss as her hands slid into short, soft hair.

"How much longer is your mother going to be staying with you?"

"I do not want to talk about my mother right now," Regina said sharply.

"Well, if we're gonna be seeing each other every day, don't you think it'd be a little too much to hide away at the Inn or in your office? Unless I come up with a way to get Ruby to take Henry out of here for a few hours here and there, we're not really going to be able to just…be, are we?"

Regina's brow furrowed intensely as she ran her fingers over Emma's shoulder. "I suppose I can find a way to get the contractor working on her house to get things done a little quicker," she said after a moment. "Perhaps conjure up a way to make the working permit expire by the end of the week and not the end of the month and…pay the man extra to get it done."

"To your mother's standards of course."

"Of course."

"Don't you ever get tired of it?" Emma asked her, wanting to kiss her again but she had to know. It was far too unusual for a grown woman to be lying to her own mother about who she is seeing. "Don't you ever get tired of lying to her, Regina?"

"I've done it my entire life, just to keep her happy. It's become a second nature, I suppose. I promise you one thing, she will not keep me from you ever again."

"Will you ever tell her?"

Regina went silent and it was all the answer that Emma needed. Not that it was going to change anything between them, it hadn't before and she wouldn't let it now. She knew they'd have to be careful if they were seen out in town together. Hands would have to be kept to themselves, and what happened last night at the Rabbit Hole could _never_ happen again. It went without question that they had taken things too far last night, in front of people who could open their mouths, say something to the wrong person and that would make it back to Cora Mills. She had heard the horror stories before, how Cora would stop at nothing to ruin someone's life if it jeopardized her own or her family and the legacy they had built for themselves in the small town of Storybrooke, Maine.

While she knew she'd truly never understand the kind of loyalty and relationship that Regina had with her mother, she knew she had to be patient with her. She had done it before and she could easily do it again. It would be hard, but it wouldn't be forever. At least that's what she had hope for. In New York City, years ago when they were first together, there was only one time her mother was around and it was the first time Emma had tried to surprise Regina in her apartment after receiving a set of keys. It had been different then and it would be different now, in a variety of reasons she still was trying to wrap her head around.

"Maybe one day I will," Regina said, breaking Emma free from the thoughts that were rippling through her mind. "The very thought terrifies me though."

"Why, because I'm a woman?"

"Because if she knew you and I were together many years ago and just rekindled our relationship, she would stop at nothing to destroy our happiness."

"What, would she like kill me just to keep us from being together?" Emma asked, laughing until she saw the serious look on Regina's face. "No way, there's no way she would do something like that, Regina!"

"You don't know her."

"I'm a cop, and if you're telling me that she's tried this before I—"

"She hasn't."

"Regina…"

"When I was a teenager, one of my best friends was gay and when my mother found out, she banned me from being seen with her, to talking to her, to being her friend. It wasn't until shortly before I left to attend school in New York City that she threatened me, telling me if I ever became involved with another woman, she would kill her just to destroy what she thinks is immoral, degrading, dirty and sinful."

Emma watched a wave of emotions flutter over Regina's face and she kept her arms wrapped around Regina, stilling her when she felt her try to move from her lap. There were a lot of things she didn't know about Regina, then and now, and she knew from the worried look in her brown eyes, that maybe it would be a long while before she knew everything there was to know about the woman she was falling in love with all over again.

"Hey, forget all that," Emma whispered, bringing their lips together for another kiss. "I need you to stay with me, right here right now and forget her."

"I don't know how to."

"Remember what you just said before? About when you're here with me the rest of the world just slips away? Now is the perfect time to let that happen, don't you think?"

Their lips met again and Emma felt the hesitation she was met with as Regina still her lips upon the first touch. She didn't push Regina, allowing her to take control of the kiss mere moments into it, the kiss itself feeling of a desperate need she'd felt the night before, time and time again. She just let Regina kiss her that way until it was Regina who broke away with a soft little gasp as she clutched Emma's right arm with her left hand.

"We can't be this perfect little couple that you—"

"Regina, nothing about us has been perfect. Or easy. Then and now. We've spent the last eleven years apart because of what happened at that party I never should've went to. Whether it's fate or Ruby and Granny conspiring to help me find happiness again, I am here right now with you and all I want to do is kiss you every second that I'm with you, to touch you, to hold you and never let go."

"Never?"

"Never," Emma replied with such sureness in her voice that it trumped the doubts she had been thinking of before. "Regina, I love you and I'm falling in love with you all over again. After last night…all I want is to be with you."

"Will you stay?"

"In Storybrooke?" Emma asked, panic suddenly filling her and she tried so hard not to let it show like all her other emotions that unfolded easily in front of Regina. "I-I have to go back. Henry has school and I have a job to get back to. I'm…expected to turn up when my little 'vacation' is over."

"I know," Regina said sadly but she delivered a sweet, promising kiss to Emma's lips, smiling before she pulled apart. "We can always have our weekends, meet halfway."

"Can we just stay right here, right now?" Emma asked, hoping that Regina would understand what she was asking. When she received no reply she kissed her again, keeping it rather chaste. "One day at a time, please?"

"One day at a time," Regina echoed and as she dipped her head in for another kiss, they were stopped by the sound of Henry's laughter as he came in the back door.

"Come on, Mom! Every time I look at you, you're kissing her! Can't you stop?"

"No, I can't," Emma grinned playfully, quickly kissing Regina once more before letting her slide off of her lap. "How are the steaks coming along, kid?"

"Ruby sent me in to ask how you want it done," Henry said and he looked at Regina as he said it. "Uh, almost rare, medium, or done?"

"Rare-medium will be fine, dear," she said, smiling at Henry yet her eyes lingered back to Emma's intense gaze.

Emma, well aware of her son's presence, resisted the urge to reach out to Regina to touch her, to draw her in to her again. She broke their heavy gaze and focused her eyes on her son, unmoving from where he stood, watching the two of them with curious eyes.

"I'll have mine the same, kid. Now go and tell Ruby before she cooks them all well done and we're cursed spending a half hour chewing through steak that could be gum."

"Fine, but no more kissing!"

"Why, kid?"

"It's gross?"

"Why?"

"Because you're my mom," he replied simply before turning around quickly and making a run for the back door.

"He is quite something else."

"You have no idea," Emma chuckled lightly. She moved to lean in to kiss Regina again and ended up with Regina's forefinger against her lips. "What?

"Your son specifically said no more kissing."

"Are you for real?"

"Yes."

"Seriously?"

"Yes," Regina replied with a nod, but it didn't stop her from stealing one last kiss, far deeper and passionate that all the ones they'd shared in the time that Regina had been there. "We will continue this after your son is in bed. That is, if you want to."

"I so want to…"

* * *

Regina ate quietly, watching Emma and her son and Ruby as they chattered throughout the meal, laughing and joking around, making plans for the next day and talking of memories she was completely oblivious to. It made her heart ache because she felt, deep down inside, if she hadn't thrown Emma out that day, that she too could've been a part of those memories. One way or another.

As they sat around the roaring bonfire, her body snuggled in close to Emma's as the slight chill of the night crept upon them, she knew she would do whatever it took to savour every moment they shared together, whether alone or after she learned to love and accept Henry into her life as well.

_One day at a time._

It's what Emma had requested and she knew even before then that it was exactly what they needed to do. They'd far too easily fallen back into a place in time before everything fell apart, but neither could stop it. Once she had read the letter Emma wrote her, something had shifted inside her completely. She had doubted it at first, but their night together at the Rabbit Hole and afterwards was more than enough proof that neither could hold back and that there wasn't any reason to. Aside from her mother.

Dread filled her heart, the feeling alone not enough to be overcome by the feeling of falling in love with Emma Swan all over again gave her. She was grasping at the last chance of happiness with everything that she had and it was tumbling before her, happening all so fast, yet she was succumbing to every last moment of it all.

Her unexpected arrival to the Lucas cottage that afternoon had earned her one cold and long spray to her chest from a toy water gun, a horrified child being the one that pulled the trigger. Emma's son. Henry. But it had also earned her time with Emma and her family, invited to dinner and dessert afterwards which led them exactly where they were now. If it was anyone else, Regina would've turned and left without a second thought, but it wasn't. It was Emma and all she wanted was to be with her, to spend every waking moment that was possible with her.

She felt like she was twenty-four again, remembering the feeling she had felt at the time when she first fell in love with Emma Swan. It consumed her completely, filled every ounce of her being and she knew even then that Emma was _it_ for her. She felt it in that very first kiss, standing in line for the bathroom at Jefferson's party. She felt it every single time she and Emma were together and it was a feeling that was hard to shake, even years after they had broken up.

Regina did feel a heaviness in her heart, one that had been there since she read that letter that Emma's son had handed her. When she read it, she'd been so overcome with emotion that she didn't realize at first that the fact they had spent so much time apart had been because of her. Because she refused to listen to Emma, to try and understand what happened, to be there for her when she found out the repercussions of that night had provided.

Her guilt was still eating at her. She knew she should have never let her go. Emma hadn't done what she did with her own free will and she certainly didn't intend to get pregnant. The letter she did read explained why she decided to keep the baby, her son, Henry, and Regina had no doubt in her mind that if she had taken a different path and they had stayed together, Emma would have made the same choice.

She couldn't look at Henry, not because she knew how he was conceived, but because she now felt lingering guilt for not being there far sooner in his young life, experiencing everything Emma had gone through with him alone. His first step, his first word, first day of kindergarten…all of it and everything in between. Everything right up until she was pelted with a strong stream of cold water shooting out of the toy gun, aimed directly at her chest unintentionally.

This would become her life. Emma, Henry, even Ruby too. And for the first time in her life she wanted it all, forgetting completely of her mother's expectations and less than subtle threats.

Because for once in her life she was going to grab a hold of her happy ending and she would never, ever let go.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Notes: I've had the week from hell, literally, so I haven't had the chance to update until now. Thanks as always for your wonderful reviews! They are very much appreciated in every way and form :)**

* * *

Regina succumbed to the kiss Emma delivered to her before she would reluctantly make herself climb in to her car and drive home. Emma Swan had her fully captivated and she wasn't about to let their night end so soon.

"Are you sure you're okay to drive?"

"Yes."

Regina's voice was unsure. After the two small glasses of generic, cheap wine over dinner and the two beers she'd been talked into drinking afterwards, she was feeling a slight buzz yet knew she was still coherent and just sober enough to make the drive home safely. Somewhat.

"Stay," Emma breathed as they stood outside the front door of the cottage. "Please?"

"With him and her here as well?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does."

"Why?"

"Because you know what happens when we sleep in the same bed, Emma," Regina said gently and she caught the slight curl of Emma's lips as she fought to keep the smirk from slipping out. "Perhaps another time, once your son has gotten used to the idea of us."

"Okay. Will you call me or text me when you get in? Just so I know you didn't like, crash your car into a tree or something?"

"Of course I will."

Regina smiled and leaned in for one last kiss. They had spent over an hour kissing on the couch once Henry was in bed and Ruby had retreated upstairs to give the two of them some privacy and to make sure that if Henry happened to wake up, that he stayed upstairs until Regina was gone. Far too many times they had to still their wandering hands, but it was almost impossible not to want to touch one another.

Cupping Emma's face in her hands, she placed a few small chaste kisses on her lips before stepping back from Emma and dropping her hands to her sides. She still wore her borrowed shirt and despite that her own had likely been dry for hours, she hadn't bothered to change and she liked the feel of the soft cotton shirt against her skin and then there was the fact that it smelled like Emma a little too.

"Good night, Regina."

"Good night," she smiled and Emma flashed her a charming smile in return. She had to will herself to turn and walk down the steps and over to her car and it was hard because all she wanted to do was stay there with Emma.

For most of the drive back into town, Regina had the same smile dancing over her lips, it widening every time she just pictured Emma looking at her exactly the way she used to look at her before. It should've scared her that they'd so easily fallen back together, acting as if no time had passed between them, especially not eleven years, but it didn't matter to her whether it was a day or eleven years that had passed by. She still and always would be in love with Emma Swan and this time she knew there was no way she was ever letting her go. They would make things work when Emma returned to New York City, she was sure of that. It wouldn't be forever either, she was sure of that too.

As she pulled into her driveway, she sat in her car for a few minutes, carefully re-applying her lipstick in case her mother was still awake. It was completely ridiculous to hide the love of her life away and their re-emerging relationship from her mother, but she was absolutely terrified of Cora Mills, knowing exactly what she was capable of doing. Those details, the real ones, she had kept from Emma, nearly slipping up a few times when they had talked about her coming out to her mother.

Emma didn't need to know that her mother had orchestrated the murder of her father's lover just a few years before his death and to this day she hadn't been caught. It was a secret—one of many—that burdened her, but just like everything else when it came to her mother, she pushed it down deep inside and tried to keep her focus on her life, her career, and now love since Emma Swan had come back into her life, completely unexpected and out of nowhere.

Regina walked from her car to her front door, her smile still lingering over her lips as she fingered the right key and slid it into the lock once she came to a stop in front of the door. Once inside, she locked the door again and flipped off the switch to the porch light and made her way through the foyer, through the dining room and into the kitchen.

On the island countertop sat an opened bottle of wine, fished out from her collection in the cellar and an empty glass sitting beside it. She sighed as she grabbed the glass, rinsed it in the sink and let it sit there, silently reminding herself to wash it in the morning as she fetched a clean wine glass out of the cupboard and poured herself a glass, emptying what was left of the bottle.

She returned to where she'd dropped her purse on the side table in the dining room and pulled out her phone. She smiled as she saw Emma had text her while she had been driving and she took a sip her wine before her thumbs were flying across the screen.

She carried her glass of wine and her phone with her into the living room and sat down on the couch by the window, smiling as her phone went off again. She felt a wave of arousal just thinking of Emma bringing her lunch and having her naughty way with her in her office at the town hall. She took another sip of her wine, before typing up explicit instructions on what she wanted for lunch, what time she usually took lunch at and what to say to the insufferable woman who was her temporary secretary.

Despite the hour getting late, they continued to text back and forth and Regina finally set one last message before heading to bed, a smile on her face and her head full of thoughts of Emma Swan.

* * *

It was early when Emma was woken up by the sounds of Henry and Ruby making pancakes in the kitchen. She stretched out on the couch, her whole body aching and she knew she would definitely not survive the entire summer sleeping on the couch. She sat up slowly, smiling as she picked up her phone and was greeted by a good morning text from Regina that had been sent almost a half an hour before. After typing a quick reply, she placed her phone down on the coffee table and joined Henry and Ruby in the kitchen.

"Morning, Mom," Henry smiled at her as she moved to give him a side hug and ruffled his hair before wiping off some of the pancake batter that was on his cheek. "I hope you're hungry! We're making lots of pancakes!"

"I can see that, kid," Emma smiled as she looked over at Ruby cooking the pancakes two at a time on the stove. She turned her attention back to Henry, watching him as he mixed the batter in the big bowl. "So, what did you think of last night?"

"You mean Regina?"

"Yeah."

"She's nice, Mom. She's really pretty when she smiles and she smiled a lot at you."

"Nice?" Ruby chuckled and she shook her head. "That's all you got to say about her is that she's nice?"

"I don't know her!" Henry exclaimed and Emma shook her head at the look the two of them exchanged. "I think she really was mad at me for shooting her with my water gun."

Emma shook her head and slung her arm around his shoulders. "She wasn't mad."

"Then why didn't she talk to me? Doesn't she like me?"

"She doesn't know you."

"Kinda hard to get to know someone if you don't talk to them, isn't it?" Henry quipped and Emma nodded, watching as he carried the bowl over to Ruby. "Is she going to be coming around a lot while we're here, Mom?"

"Maybe."

"Cool."

Emma moved to sit at the table, knowing that there could be a hundred different reasons or one that Regina had been closed off towards her son. He was right though, she remembered the entire time that Regina was there yesterday that she barely spoke to Henry, barely even looked at him unless it was out of politeness. It bothered Emma that she hadn't noticed that until now and she knew that whatever Regina's reason was for acting the way she did around her son, she'd hear about it whether Regina told her or she had to pry the answers out of her.

Leaving the two of them to continue to make a ridiculous amount of pancakes, Emma grabbed her phone off the coffee table and headed upstairs to take a shower. As she went through her clothes, she saw Regina's red blouse still hanging where she'd left it. She'd have to remember to bring it with her when she brought Regina lunch at one. Exactly one o'clock. That had been one of her instructions.

That and she had requested that she wear absolutely nothing under her clothes for easier access for all involved. Her requests for what she was supposed to wear were somewhat alarming since she only brought along two button down shirts and Regina had gone home wearing one of them. The other was flannel and old but she loved that shirt, the softness of it and the memories that came with the years the shirt had seen her through. But the idea of having Regina rip the shirt open and having her way with her on her desk was definitely alluring and it brought forth a lot of titillating images she would definitely have to take care of in the shower.

Emma set aside her clothes on the unmade bed, her eyes lingering over Regina's blouse and the slight creases along the front where she'd been sprayed with water. She wondered if it was truly ruined and Regina had just dismissed it instead of making it a big deal. Frowning, Emma took it off the hanger and carefully folded it before placing it next to her own clothes. She did remember the other part of Regina's explicit instructions and that was to bring an extra shirt with her.

After a long shower and feeling much less tense after a night on the couch and satisfied she'd taken care of her urges, she dressed in her flannel button down and a pair of short and tight jean shorts. She rolled the sleeves up as she skipped down the stairs just in time for breakfast.

Emma knew that Henry had planned out the entire day with Ruby and he hadn't included her. She suspected it was because he already had begun to assume she would want to spend her days with Regina instead of him and she didn't like that. She couldn't have that and although she knew she'd want to spent time with Regina, they both had their own lives to live separately.

She spent the morning with Henry while Ruby laid in the hammock and read from the pile of magazines she'd brought along with her. The closer it got to one o'clock, the more often Emma was pulling her phone out of her back pocket to check the time. She had text Regina earlier, asking her what to bring for lunch and she hadn't heard a thing from her since her reply of "you" came through.

Emma left the cottage at twelve-thirty with lunch in a container that had been made up in an almost panicked rush. Chicken caesar salad, simple yet it still made her worry some. What if the chicken wasn't cooked enough, what if the generic brand of salad dressing she'd bought at the store a week ago wasn't good enough, what if she didn't add enough cheese or cucumbers and all the other greens that Regina loved? Ruby had told her while she'd been making it not to worry because there was a high chance that it'd end up on the floor.

Emma couldn't even answer Henry's questions about that one, the two of them forgetting he was within earshot as the little exchange unfolded. Ruby was probably right though, the salad she'd brought for them to eat for lunch would most definitely either be forgotten and shoved aside.

Because Emma knew that the passion that flowed between them couldn't be controlled. Because Emma knew that the instant she walked into Regina's office they wouldn't be able to keep their hands off each other.

Eleven years was a long time to wait for someone, yet some people could wait a lifetime and never get their first or second chance. And while Emma knew she should've been taking this one day at a time, she couldn't help but think of the future they could possibly have together. It would take work, a lot of work, but when it came to Regina Mills and the possibility of having a happy ending together, and Emma was willing to do whatever it'd take to get there.

She pulled into a small parking lot behind the town hall and found an empty space. She came to a stop and looked at the clock. Five to one. She glanced in the review mirror and threaded her fingers through her hair, smiling at herself before grabbing the container off the passenger seat. She walked through the main doors and headed straight for the stairs Regina had told her to take.

The blonde-haired secretary sat at a small desk, filing her nails and she barely cast a glance up at Emma when she came to a stop just a few feet in front of her desk. She cleared her throat and looked at the clock on the wall. Two minutes to spare.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked, tapping her nail file against the edge of the desk as she looked at Emma.

"I'm here to see the Mayor."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes."

"Name?"

"Swan," Emma replied and the woman nodded, using her nail file to point to the hallway to the right. "Thank you."

Emma turned and walked down in the indicated direction and came to a stop in front of the door with Mayor stencilled on the glass. She knocked twice before reaching for the doorknob and walked inside, smiling at Regina sitting behind her desk and paying no attention to her presence, her eyes focused on the paperwork laid out in front of her.

Emma shut and locked the door behind her, as per Regina's instructions she'd received last night. She took a moment to look around the large office, suitably decorated to Regina's tastes. Emma walked over to where the couch and chairs were, placing the container on the coffee table and turned to find Regina standing right behind her.

"Hey," Emma smiled at her and she received a brilliant smile right back. "I brought lunch. It's just a salad. I didn't know what else—"

Regina's lips were instantly on hers, kissing her hard and deep as their arms wrapped around one another. They were moving away from the couch, which seemed like an obvious place to Emma for the two of them to continue this, but Regina was leading her towards her desk and she felt a wave of arousal flood through her body, remembering the exchange they'd had the day before about having lunch together in Regina's office.

Emma slipped her hands over Regina's firm ass, gripping her tight as she pulled her harder against her. Regina's hands slip under the edge of her shirt and she moaned at the feel of her fingers skipping over the skin of her lower back. And then she was laughing and pulling back from Regina's lips with a jolt and she shook her head, her thoughts swimming in her head, not one of them making any sense.

"What is so funny?" Regina asked and Emma shook her head, stealing another kiss before smiling at her again. "Emma?"

"Are we really doing this?"

"Doing what? Sharing a kiss hello before having lunch together in my office?" Regina asked, her voice teasing as her short nails scraped along Emma's back. "Yes we are."

"Regina," Emma sighed, her smile wavering as she moved to cup Regina's face gently in her hands. "Aren't you afraid we're going to get caught?"

"By that insufferable, sorry excuse of a secretary?" Regina shook her head no. "She knows not to disturb me when I'm having a meeting and you, darling, have an hour of my undivided attention and affection."

"So, are you still on the menu then or are we actually going to eat lunch?" Emma asked, blinking in confusion since she had seen this whole situation unfolding a lot differently when she'd been in the shower earlier. "And as hot as it is imagining you ripping this shirt open, can we just uh, not ruin my shirt this time?"

Regina was grinning at her, not saying a word as she backed Emma up towards her desk, each step taken slowly until Emma gasped when she found herself trapped between the edge of the desk and Regina. She inhaled sharply as Regina moved her hands to the top button of her shirt, their eyes locked in a heavy gaze as Regina's fingers worked to unbutton her shirt carefully. She stopped when she reached the button just over her navel and she leaned in to place a soft kiss against Emma's lips before moving down across her neck, her hands pushing open the halfway unbuttoned shirt to expose her to the room and to her wandering lips.

Emma's own hands were wandering and they settled on Regina's hips, her fingers pulling at the soft material of her skirt, pulling it upwards slowly. Her fingers trailed over the garter Regina was wearing and she groaned quietly, a rush of arousal flooding between her own legs as she found that other than the garter, Regina wasn't wearing anything else underneath her skirt.

"Jesus," Emma groaned as Regina's lips slowly made their way back up to hers. She slipped a hand between Regina's thighs, her fingers slipping over her folds and found she was incredibly wet. "I want to fuck you."

"I want you to," Regina murmured against her lips. "I've barely been able to get any work done in the last hour just thinking of you coming here," she continued as Emma's fingers deftly slid inside of her. "Thinking about you touching me just like this."

Emma moaned as she spun Regina around, pressing her backside up against the glass desk, thrusting her fingers inside of Regina slowly. She watched Regina's face, her eyes widening in surprise as Emma swept the papers off of her desk suddenly and lifted her up on the edge, spreading her legs for her as she looked down, watching her fingers as she fucked Regina, her fingers driving and twisting inside of her hard and fast.

Regina laid back on her desk as Emma knelt on the floor, her fingers stilling for a moment just before she kissed along Regina's inner thigh, her tongue teasing over a garter strap, her eyes looking up at Regina as she gripped on to the edge of her desk, her back arching as Emma slipped her fingers out from inside of her. She shifted slightly, placing Regina's legs over her shoulders and teased over Regina's clit with her thumb lightly. Her heart was racing at the sight of Regina on her desk, her skirt bunched up over her hips and her breath hitching in her chest as she bit her bottom lip.

"Emma…" Regina sighed out softly. "Please…"

Emma smiled, knowing without having to hear her say the words that she didn't want her to tease her any longer, that she needed her tongue on her and in her. Emma leaned forward, her tongue dipping out to taste her and she moaned along with Regina as she drank her in.

Neither cared to keep quiet, Regina crying out Emma's name as she slipped her tongue deep inside of her clenching hole and it didn't take long for her to come undone, her moans and gasps filling the room as she bucked her hips against Emma's lips and insistent tongue. Emma didn't stop for a moment, unable to get enough of the woman laid out on her desk before her. She was hungry, hungry for her, hungry to feel that pleasure she was giving roll right back through her own body.

She ran her tongue over the wet folds, teasing her, tasting her, loving how she felt the spasms against her tongue as she slipped her tongue back inside of her, feeling the last of Regina's orgasm rumbling through her body. Regina's hands let go of the edge of the desk and she slid her fingers through Emma's hair, pulling her back as she met Emma's eyes. She was breathing heavily, hot breath spilling past her lips and Emma smiled up at her, teasing over her clit with her fingers as she held Regina's intense gaze.

Regina made no move to stop her, her eyes slamming shut as Emma slipped two fingers inside of her easily. She took a moment, just drinking her with appreciative eyes and she knew she would never, ever be able to resist the temptation of having Regina just like this, ready and wet and waiting for her to make her tumble over the edge, over and over again.

Her lips wrapped around her clit and she sucked hard, her own desire shooting through her body at the sound of Regina moaning her name. She felt her clench around her fingers, another orgasm quickly rushing through her body as Emma teased over her clit with the tip of her tongue, knowing just how to draw the pleasure out of Regina and pushing her to let go. Emma rose from her knees to stand between Regina's legs, her fingers still twisting and thrusting inside of her and she pulled Regina forward, their lips meeting in a hungry kiss as her second orgasm rushed through her.

Regina pulled Emma's hand away from her, shaking her head as the kiss changed, going from hungry and wanton, to slow and deep. Sensual. Regina's fingers trailed over her skin on her chest, her fingers slipping under the soft material of her partially unbuttoned shirt. Emma moaned against her lips as her fingers teased over her semi-erect nipples and she felt a flood of arousal between her legs as Regina sucked on her bottom lip and pinched her nipples hard.

As they broke apart from the kiss, Regina slipped off of her desk and smoothed her skirt down her thighs. She smiled at Emma, reaching out to grab at the front of her shirt, pulling her back in for another heated kiss. Emma's heart was hammering in her chest, knowing that she was about to get it just as good as she just gave Regina and the thought of just how Regina was going to take her had her dripping with desire. She moaned as Regina's hands went to the top of her jean shorts, her fingers unbuttoning them and slid the zipper down slowly as she cupped her with her left hand.

"Turn around," Regina whispered huskily against Emma's lips. "Put your hands on the desk and spread your legs for me."

"Fuck," Emma groaned as Regina pushed her shorts down and she stepped out of them quickly and moved to stand in front of the desk and placed her hands down on the glass, the surface cool against her palms. "Regina…"

Regina stepped up behind her, pulling at her partially unbuttoned shirt until it fell from around her shoulders slightly. She closed her eyes as Regina smoothed her hands over her bare shoulders, pushing her hair to the side as her warm, wet lips placed a kiss at the nape of her neck. A delicious shudder ran through Emma's body as Regina wrapped an arm around her middle, her hand moving slowly to tease over her skin before she slipped her fingers through wet folds and nearly made Emma cum in seconds.

They fell into comfortable silence again, neither speaking, just the soft breathy moans that fell past Emma's lips filled the room as she trembled and struggled to stay right where she was as Regina's fingers teased over her cunt, fingers pinching and rolling her clit, fingers dipping inside of her only to stop short of filling her completely.

She rolled her hips against Regina's fingers, subtly begging her with her body to stop teasing her and fuck her. She needed to let go too and it was almost too much. The frustration was building inside of her as Regina continued to tease over her pussy, her left hand on her bare hip, fingers grasping as she leaned against her back.

Emma's palms slipped against the glass desk a little as Regina's lips were on her neck again, kissing over her heated skin and raining soft kisses down her neck, over her shoulder and back again. Emma cried out as she suddenly thrust two fingers inside of her without warning and her fingers filled her deeply and she closed her eyes as Regina playfully nipped at her skin at the nape of her neck before moving to continue with her feather light kisses that were driving Emma crazy.

Regina's fingers moved slowly inside of her, thrusting back in hard before sliding them almost all the way out of her clenching hole. She could feel Regina's heart pounding as she leaned against her even more and Emma's head filled with thoughts of Regina taking her just like this, pounding into her with a strap-on and making her cum screaming and begging for more.

They weren't there yet and it was something they'd never done, but just the thought alone had Emma's whole body heating up, flushing in arousal just imagining how fucking hot it would be.

"Regina," she gasped as she turned to look back at her. "Fuck…harder, fuck me harder! I-I need—I'm so close. I…"

Regina's lips captured her own and it was brief, the angle making both of them strain to kiss one another. Emma tried to keep her cries of pleasure quiet as she kept one hand on the desk and reached back with her other to thread her fingers through Regina's soft, short hair. She held her to her neck, loving the way she sucked and nipped at her skin, marking her as hers.

Emma moved her hips against Regina's hand, quickening the rhythm of Regina's thrusting and twisting fingers, her body bursting with heated desire as her orgasm jolted through her quickly and deeply. She turned around suddenly and pulled Regina in for a passionate kiss, Regina's fingers finding their way back between her legs as Emma subtly tried to lead Regina over to the couch.

Eager hands pushed Regina's skirt up over her hips as they reached the couch, neither breaking away from needy, insistent lips as Emma pulled Regina down with her, holding her on top of her as she settled into the couch. She slipped a thigh between Regina's legs and thrust it against her when she felt how wet she still was for her. Because of her. Regina's fingers were still buried inside of her and she pressed against her hand with her thigh, increasing the friction as she continued to fuck her.

Emma slid a hand between their bodies and cupped Regina's pussy possessively, both of their bodies writhing together as they brought each other closer to the edge, both so ready to come undone together. With every muffled gasp and moan into each other's mouths, it was Emma who came first, her body shuddering under Regina's as she fucked her just as hard and fast with her fingers and felt her core tighten, her pussy grasp at her fingers as she came hard and fast.

They laid there, kissing lazily and deeply as they basked in their shared orgasm, the after-glow making Emma feel as if she was high on drugs, Regina being the drug and she just couldn't get enough. When Regina broke away from her lips, delivering a short yet sweet kiss before she rose from the couch and smoothed her skirt back down over her thighs.

"Hmm, I could definitely get used to spending my lunch hours with you, just like this," Regina said with a salacious grin dancing over her lips. "And as much as I want to continue, we do need to eat."

"Yeah," Emma grinned. "Yeah, we do. Actual food and not, you know, each other."

Regina chuckled and watched her as she walked over to where her shorts were by the front of her desk. Emma pulled them on slowly, knowing that Regina was watching her from behind and gave her a teasing show before moving to button up her shirt.

"Uh, sorry about that," Emma said, frowning at the mess of papers on the floor to the right side of the desk. "I could help you clean this up before I go."

"It's quite all right," Regina said as she sat on the couch and opened the container that Emma had placed on the coffee table when she first arrived. "You did forget something."

"What?"

"Forks," Regina smiled and she pointed to one of the cabinets on the wall near the desk and behind Emma. "There should be some plastic forks inside the middle drawer," she said and Emma opened it and found a few plastic forks mixed in with various office supplies. "This looks absolutely delicious, darling."

"Yeah?" Emma smiled as she sat next to Regina and handed her one of the forks. "I wasn't sure what to bring for lunch and I know what you like and I hoped that you still liked your salad like this."

"I do," Regina replied before taking a bite and moaning softly. "It is very delicious."

"It's just a salad."

"It's still very delicious."

They ate from the container quietly and when it was empty, Regina rose from the couch and walked to a small fridge by the filing cabinets and pulled out two cold bottles of water. She handed Emma one before returning to the mess on the floor beside her desk and started to quietly gather the mess of papers up. Emma watched her curiously, watching as a host of emotions fluttered across her face, her brow furrowed as she stacked the papers back up on top of her desk.

A soft knock sounded on the door and Emma looked at Regina in surprise, watching as she stood up and smoothed her hands down her skirt as she walked over to unlock the door.

"Madam Mayor, I think there's something wrong with your phone," her secretary said as Regina stood at the door, holding it open just a foot and keeping her from trying to enter her office. "I tried to call you to tell you that your two o'clock is here."

"He's early. I'll just finish up my meeting with Ms. Swan and when she leaves, you can send the Sheriff in."

Regina sighed heavily as she shut the door and Emma walked over to her, smiling as their arms easily found their way around one another. They shared one last kiss, neither wanting to end it too soon and it was Emma who did, knowing that she had to leave.

"What are you doing tonight?" Emma asked her and she shrugged as she stepped out of her arms. "Do you want to come over for dinner again?"

"Yes," Regina smiled. "I would like that very much. I'll let you know when I'm finished for the day. I've got some paperwork to reorganize and finish before I can leave."

"I'm sorry—"

"It was completely worth it," Regina said kissing her lightly on the lips and then her flushed cheek. She used the pad of her thumb to wipe at the little bit of lipstick that was smeared on Emma's bottom lip and opened the door for her. "I'll see you later, darling."

"Yeah," Emma smiled as she backed out of the door and into the hallway.

They both held each other's longing gaze before Emma turned and walked down the hallway and towards the stairs, ignoring the look that the blonde-haired secretary was giving her as she opened the stairwell door. She walked out of the town hall and to her car with a satisfied and sated smile on her face. She knew now for certain that they would be spending the summer together, one way or another and she wouldn't have it any other way.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Notes: Again, you guys leaving reviews are absolutely wonderful and I appreciate each one of you taking the time to share your thoughts! I love reading all your reviews and I can't wait to share more chapters with you guys! Do enjoy and please take a quick look at the note at the end of the chapter, thanks :) (p.s. after the week from hell, all the kind words you guys have sent my way totally made this whole week turn right around, so thanks for the kindness in your hearts for a total stranger who writes porn with plot ;p )**

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For the next couple of weeks, they'd fallen into a steady routine together. At least two days out of the week, Emma would bring Regina lunch at precisely one in the afternoon and they'd spend majority of it finding new ways, new positions to have sex, sometimes forgetting to eat whatever Emma had brought for lunch completely. Three nights out of the week, Regina would come to the cottage for dinner and stay until ten before leaving.

On weekends, specifically Saturday nights, Emma would spend it at Regina's house now that her mother had moved back into her own home shortly after the first time Emma had brought Regina lunch at her office. They wouldn't sleep until the early hours of the morning, spending most of the night making love together in Regina's bed and when the morning rolled around, Regina would make her breakfast in bed and they'd spend the rest of the time making love again before Emma left just before noon to go back to the cottage and spend time with Henry and Ruby.

It felt like it had before, years ago, and it didn't feel like they had spent all those years apart, especially not when seeing each other had quickly become a regular occurrence. After a month of being in Storybrooke, it had started to feel like home to Emma and that very feeling scared her because she knew how hard it was going to be when she had to leave Regina behind in Storybrooke and go back home to New York with Henry.

When it came to Henry, Regina was still distant with him, but she was slowly coming around, talking to him a little more over dinner, asking him questions in an attempt to get to know him a little bit better. Emma always carefully watched the two of them interacting and she still didn't know why Regina was still hesitant to become more comfortable around her son, aside from the obvious reason that was the fact that Henry was the product of date rape and the end of their own relationship so long ago. Was that why Regina acted like she couldn't stand to be around him most of the time? Emma didn't know how to ask her that, didn't know if she should even bring it up because over the last couple of weeks, they hadn't talked about their past, choosing to leave it where it was and focus on the here and now.

They had talked about a lot of things, but the past was something they hadn't talked about since just before they'd gotten back together. It wasn't just the past they didn't talk about. They never talked about what would happen after Emma went back home to New York City at the end of the summer. Emma had thought about it a lot and there was no doubt in her mind that Regina was thinking about it as well.

And today had been different since the moment Regina showed up at the cottage door at eight in the morning. It was a holiday and she didn't have to work and she didn't want to be alone, so she had told Emma when she had opened the door, surprised to see Regina standing there and dressed far more casually than she'd ever seen her before. She told Emma she wanted to take her riding, and it confused Emma at first just what she meant until Regina asked if she thought Henry might enjoy coming along as well to ride her horses through the trails that surrounded the small stable they were now pulling up to, Emma behind the wheel of the yellow Bug, Regina in the seat next to her and Henry in the backseat with Ruby.

She didn't tell Regina that she was terrified of getting up on a horse and riding one. She didn't tell Regina that the thought of it made her want to turn the car around and drive all the way back to New York City. Instead, she swallowed her fear and followed Regina to the stables, her eyes lingering on her ass in her riding pants that were tight and fit her like a glove. She had on riding boots that came up to her knees and wore a simple white t-shirt. She looked gorgeous and Emma could not take her eyes off of her, not even long enough for Regina to introduce her to the man that took care of her horses when she was away.

"Emma?" Regina chuckled softly as she placed a hand on Emma's tense shoulder. "As I was saying, this is David."

"Oh. Hi," Emma smiled as she reached out to shake his hand.

"I've saddled Rocinante already for you, Madam Mayor," David said brightly, his smile charming as he turned to look down at Henry. "And I believe you would do well with riding Bandit."

"My horse's name is Bandit?" Henry asked excitedly and he bounced on the balls of his feet, beaming as he grabbed on to Emma's hand and shook her. "Mom, did you hear that? I get to ride a horse named Bandit! How cool is that?"

"Sunkist would be an ideal choice for Emma, don't you think, David?"

"Of course, and Zodiac for you," David said as he nodded at Ruby. "Henry, would you like to come and give me a hand? I'll introduce you to Bandit and show you how to saddle him for your ride today."

Henry looked at Emma and she nodded and he followed David inside the stable eagerly, asking him a hundred different questions as they disappeared inside. Emma looked nervously at Regina as she motioned for her and Ruby to follow her inside the stables as well.

"Sunkist has a wonderful temperament and you'll enjoy riding her today."

Emma nodded, hesitant as she lingered behind, her eyes gluing to Regina's ass as Ruby poked her in the side. "What was that for?" Emma asked her and Ruby just gave her a knowing look. "Well, it's not my fault her ass looks amazing in those pants!"

"At least it's a good distraction because you look absolutely terrified right now, Em."

"I am terrified!"

"It'll be fun," Ruby assured her, slinging an arm around her shoulders and practically had to lead her into the stables where Regina was waiting. "It'll be fun," Ruby repeated as Emma went stock still at the sight of the huge black horse Regina was leading out of a stall.

"Emma, this is Rocinante," she smiled as she held out a hand, one that Emma reluctantly took and allowed herself to be pulled closer to the horse. "I have had him for many years, since I was young."

"He's…huge."

"And gentle," she smiled. "Go on, say hello."

"To a horse?"

"Yes," Regina nodded and guided her hand to his mane. "Don't be afraid, darling."

Emma pet the horse lightly, afraid if she touched it wrong that it might bite her or kick her. It was ridiculous to be so afraid of an animal and she tried to shake that feeling off as Regina stood behind her, one hand on her hip, the other guiding her hand to the horse's face. After a few moments, she relaxed and the horse nuzzled into her hand, into her soft yet firm touch.

"Hi," she said quietly. "I'm Emma," she continued and she felt Regina's body against hers, laughing quietly into her ear. She turned around to face Regina with an exasperated look on her face. "You told me to stay hello and now you're laughing at me?"

"Because you are just simply adorable," Regina smiled and her lips twitched in the way they did just before she kissed her, but she didn't move to kiss her, instead she took Emma's hand in her own and led her to the stall next to the one she had led her beloved horse out of before. "This is Sunkist," Regina said as they stood just outside of the next stall and she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and the blonde horse turned and approached the gate.

"Hi," Emma squeaked as she reached out on her own to pet the smaller and less intimidating horse the way she had pet Rocinante. "Is he yours too?"

"She," Regina replied and she nodded her head. "My family has owned these stables for many years. My father was quite passionate when it came to riding, my mother however, could care less. It's been quite some time since I've come here. I wanted to share this with you, to take you riding with me. I wanted Henry to have that experience as well. Do you think he'll enjoy himself today?"

Emma nodded, looking over at Henry as David helped him up on his brown horse just a little smaller than the one Emma was standing in front of. Oh Henry would definitely enjoy himself and she already knew that he'd be talking about this day for a long time. After Regina explained to her a few simple commands and how to mount the horse, she found that fear coming back in waves and she tried to swallow the lump in her throat when she watched Regina easily mount her horse with practiced ease.

After a few failed attempts, it was David who came over to assist her under Regina's watchful gaze. Henry and Ruby were already on theirs, both of them getting used to the feel of the horse they were riding. Once she was up, she tensed completely, holding on to the reins that David had instructed her to take a hold of.

"You need to relax a little, Emma," Regina said as she moved her horse next to Emma's and reached out to smooth a hand down her tightly coiled muscles in her left arm. "You won't fall or anything. Just relax and follow my lead."

"Okay."

After nearly half an hour of getting used to riding Sunkist inside an enclosure, Emma finally relaxed enough to start enjoying it and she led the horse to follow Regina out of the enclosure, looking back to see Henry right behind her with Ruby coming in at the end. The horses trotted through a grassy field before Regina let them to a trail that went through the forest. Every time that Regina looked back at Emma, she had a brilliant smile curled over her lips and her eyes were shining with happiness that Emma had never seen before.

Today had been different because she never knew that Regina loved horses as much as she did, she didn't even know that she owned several of them. Today _was_ different because she realized that she didn't know Regina as well as she thought she did and that thought alone had her wondering just what else she didn't know about the woman she had so easily, so quickly fallen back in love with.

Her thoughts were swirling around in her head the whole time they were out on the trails and by the time they returned to the stables, she found herself alone with Regina while David gave Henry and Ruby a guided tour of the property and to have them meet some of the other horses that were housed in the smaller stables just up a short distance away.

"Did you enjoy yourself, darling?" Regina asked, moving to take both of Emma's hands in her own. She smiled at her and leaned in for a kiss, stopping when Emma simply frowned. "You didn't?"

"You never told me you had horses or that you liked to ride."

"Oh?"

"I feel like there is so much I don't know about you still, Regina."

"We have plenty of time to discuss everything there is to know about each other. There is no rush for that, is there?"

"Regina," Emma sighed and she squeezed her hands before letting go. "There's something that's been bothering me for a little while now and I'm not so sure how to say this, but it's about Henry."

"What about him?" Regina asked softly.

"Why do you act the way you do around him?"

"I am not sure what you mean?"

"Like you are tolerating him or something and the way you look at him sometimes, I don't know, I'm trying to understand why it's so hard for you. Aside from the obvious reason, of course."

"What obvious reason is that, Emma?"

"The fact that he was conceived by the very thing that ended our relationship. He thinks you hate him, Regina."

"I do not hate your son," she replied quietly. "If you are asking me if that still bothers you, then there is something that I need to tell you about your son and how he makes me feel because I cannot have either of you thinking that I am simply tolerating his presence or that I hate him because of how he was conceived. Your son, he makes me feel—"

"How does he make you feel?"

"Guilty."

Emma backed away from her a little, shocked at hearing that word spill past her lips so easily, so surely and she didn't know what it meant. Henry made Regina feel guilty?

"What?" Emma asked and Regina looked like she was about to cry. "Why does he make you feel guilty, Regina? I don't understand."

"Because every time I look at him I realize what a mistake I made in choosing not to listen to you when you came to me that day. I could've been there for you and I would've supported your decision to keep him. I could've been there for every moment, watched as you brought him into this world. I could've been his other mother, raising him with you, a perfect little happy family. Every time I look at him he makes me feel guilty because I wasn't there. For you. For him."

Emma's heart clenched in her chest and she felt her own tears springing to her eyes suddenly and she reached forward for Regina, smiling at her as she wiped away the tears that had started to roll down her cheeks. Emma almost couldn't believe what Regina had just told her and it broke her heart because she had wanted that with her, she had wanted Regina to be there for her, to raise Henry with her as a perfect little happy family and it never happened.

"I am trying not to feel that way whenever I look at him, darling, but that guilt is a heavy feeling I can't just easily push away."

"I know."

"I really am trying," Regina said quietly. "That's what today was about, that's why I invited him along as well. I wanted to spend time together with you and your family. I wanted to, just for a moment, pretend as if I were a part of your family too."

"You _are_, Regina," Emma smiled at her and she leaned in to kiss her firmly, lingering for a moment before leaning back. "You are a part of my family. I wouldn't have it any other way and thank you for today, really. I know how much it means to Henry that you invited him along to spend the day with you."

Regina surged forward to kiss her, both of them laughing quietly as they held on to one another and their lips were insistent and needy, tears streaming down both their cheeks as they fell into each other completely. Emma was shaking as Regina held on to her tightly, their lips and tongues dancing together in a slow and passionate kiss that had her feeling absolutely every single ounce of love pouring out of Regina's heart and into her own.

She felt Regina smile against her lips, her hands sliding into Emma's long hair and holding her close before she continued to kiss Emma passionately. They were so focused on each other they hadn't heard the door slide open and they definitely didn't hear the voices until a loud gasp of surprise pulled them both apart quickly. David stood there with Henry at his side, making a grossed out face after seeing his mother kissing Regina again. And Ruby was standing behind Henry, grinning at the two of them, but Emma was staring at Regina, waiting for her to completely lose it because they had been caught by someone that did not know they were together.

"Seriously, you guys never stop with the kissing thing, do you?" Henry muttered and Ruby grabbed him by his shoulders and steered him back outside. "It's so gross, Rubes! Why do I have to see them kissing like that!" Henry's voice trailed from outside. "Ugh."

Emma's face was burning as David simply just smiled at the two of them and Regina easily slipped a hand into hers and smiled right back at him. Emma blinked and wondered why Regina was so calm about being caught by David. Regina had been quite adamant about keeping things between them from other people, aside from Henry and Ruby and Kathryn. The less people that knew about their relationship, the less chance there'd be that Cora Mills would find out about it.

While it was a struggle when they were out in public together, Emma supported her in this choice despite the fact that she still couldn't understand why Regina didn't want her mother to know about their relationship. It was one of those things they never discussed because even Emma knew if it came up again, it would drive a wedge between them and she didn't want that to happen, not when they had found happiness together again.

"I should've properly introduced you two earlier," Regina said as she led Emma over to where David was standing. "This is my girlfriend Emma," she said and she smiled as Emma looked at her with questioning eyes. "David is Kathryn's brother," she continued and Emma gaped a little as David held out a hand and she reached for it, finding herself on the receiving end of a firm handshake.

"Pleasure to meet you, Emma. You're the only one who has ever stolen Regina's heart and I wondered if you were her, the woman Kathryn told me about," he said, smiling with that charming smile of his. "I cannot believe you weren't going to tell me who she was, Regina!"

"I wasn't sure Kathryn had even told you about her, about us, but knowing Kathryn, of course she told you everything, didn't she?"

"Not her name," David chuckled. "But she did mention how beautiful she was and I am inclined to agree that she is very beautiful."

"And she's mine," Regina laughed, pushing at his chest playfully as she kept a firm hold on to Emma's hand. "So, you just keep those wandering eyes to yourself, David Nolan."

Emma watched the two of them interact, feeling a bit stunned at what had unfolded in just a few short minutes. The instant that David walked away from them, insisting that he had chores to finish up, Regina turned to face Emma and pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss that left them both breathless.

"I've wanted to kiss you like that all day," Regina said softly. "How about you bring Henry and Ruby along to my house for dinner tonight? The Nolan's will be there and I know how much Kathryn would love to meet Henry. I believe Henry has captivated David as well and I know they'd love to spend more time together."

"I—"

"I should've told you before, about Henry, about how he makes me feel," Regina continued, not allowing Emma to get a word in edgewise. "I honestly wasn't sure how to bring it up because I knew how emotional things would become just talking about it, not just for myself but for you as well."

Emma didn't say a word as she pulled Regina in for another kiss, keeping it short yet sweet and when she pulled back, she was smiling. "One less thing to worry about," she said simply. "So, do you want to go get my son and Ruby and head back to the cottage?"

"Yes I would like that. I think I should talk to Henry when we get back," Regina replied and she paused at Rocinante's stall and pet him goodbye before they continued walking out of the stable. "I don't want him believing that I do not like him."

"He'll like that," Emma said and she squeezed Regina's hand once more before she let go and they stepped outside into the fresh air and warm August sunlight. "Hey, kid, you ready to go?" Emma asked him as she walked over to where he and Ruby were standing and waiting for them.

"Yeah, I'm ready to go," he nodded. "But can you please not kiss her in front of me anymore?"

"Henry…"

"I know you love her but you're my mom and it's weird!"

Emma ruffled his hair, already having gone through with this several times in the last few weeks any time he walked in on them kissing in the living room or out on the front porch, or when they'd been laying together in the hammock.

She reached out for Regina's hand, their fingers intertwining as they walked down to the car together, Henry already chattering excitedly about how much fun he'd had and how he would love to go riding again one day. Regina promised him that she would take him riding again before the end of the month and that had him beaming the entire ride back to the cottage and talking their ears off about how much he'd miss Storybrooke when they had to leave.

When he mentioned them leaving, Emma felt Regina tense and she squeezed her hands, knowing that she was thinking about her leaving in a few weeks. She looked over at her and smiled a little, reassuring her that things wouldn't be any different than they were now except they would have a few hundred miles in between them.

It really hit her by the time she pulled the Bug to a stop behind Ruby's car that she only had a few more weeks there in Storybrooke with Regina. The two of them stayed outside while Henry and Ruby headed into the cottage to take turns having a shower and to get changed into clothes that didn't smell like horse. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina and sighed heavily.

"I will miss you terribly," Regina whispered as she held on to Emma. "It was be hard being apart from you and—"

"I don't want to talk about me leaving, not right now," Emma said gently. "It hurts too much to think about it."

"Then stay here in Storybrooke with me, darling."

"You know I can't, Regina," she frowned and she was wishing so much more now that she could stay, that she could leave the life she had in New York to be here with Regina. She couldn't though, not yet. That was a big step she knew she wasn't ready to take. Not yet. "We can have our weekends together. We can get even together for Thanksgiving and for Christmas, but let's not think about that right now, okay?"

"Okay," Regina smiled and she leaned in to kiss her lightly before pulling back. "But we will talk about this one way or another. When you are ready."

"Thank you."

They kissed again before going inside the cottage, hand in hand. Emma was tired and feeling a little sore from riding and when she told Regina where it hurt the most, she blushed embarrassingly as Regina laughed at her, telling her that it was normal and that she would get used to that feeling after a few more times. She whispered into Regina's ears that there was only one thing she wanted to be riding and that was her and that had been the start of them making out heavily on the couch, barely pulling apart in time as Henry clamoured down the stairs quickly.

While Henry made himself comfortable on the floor in front of the TV, Emma kissed Regina one last time before retreating upstairs to wait for Ruby to get out of the shower so she could take one herself. She was pacing in the bedroom when Ruby came in wearing just her robe and using a towel to dry her long hair.

"Shower's free," Ruby smiled and it faltered as she took one long look at Emma. "Is there something wrong, Em? Did something happen?"

"Regina and I were talking, back at the stables before you guys walked in on us. I asked her why she acts the way she does around Henry."

"What did she say?"

"That being around Henry made her feel guilty," Emma replied quietly, her heart clenching as she remembered the words that Regina had said that had brought tears to both of their eyes. "That she felt guilty because if she had given me the chance to explain myself that day, she could've been there for me, for Henry. Like a family."

"Oh, Emma," Ruby teared up as she wrapped her arms around her best friend. "It isn't too late for that to happen, you know that right?"

"I know."

"You're scared aren't you? You're scared that when we go back home that things are going to change," Ruby said quietly and she shook her head as Emma's bottom lip trembled and the tears sprung easily to her eyes. "If you're scared, Em, why don't you stay here with her?"

"You know I can't."

"Yeah, you can. Yeah you have a life in New York, but she's not there and you're going to be miserable, Em. I know you too well and as much as I love you and would miss you if you stayed in Storybrooke, as long as you're happy, nothing else matters."

"I can't stay, Rubes. Not yet. I'm not ready to take that step with her. We were supposed to be taking this one day at a time and now all I can think about since Henry mentioned us leaving in a few weeks, is how much it's going to suck going back home without her."

"You and Regina can't do slow or take things one day at a time. You didn't then and you couldn't this time either. There's nothing wrong with that, Emma. You two are in love with each other, you two are _it_ for each other and trying to do what you're doing isn't working because it's not possible for you two to take at least ten steps back. You're not ready to stay here with her? To take that step? Well, I think that's bullshit."

Ruby stood before her with her arms crossed over her chest and a determined look on her face. When Emma didn't say a word, Ruby just shook her head at her.

"You're scared to leave New York because it's all you've ever known. You're scared to stay here with her because you can't be with her the way you want to be, you can't hold her hand or kiss her when you're walking in the street because of the constant fear of her mother finding out about you two. It's not always going to be like that, Em. You know it as well as I do and yeah, that's a rocky road to be on with her, but it shouldn't stop you from wanting to stay here with her."

"I do want to stay," Emma said quietly. "I just…can't right now. I don't even want to think about leaving yet, Ruby. It already hurts just thinking about it and it just…can't."

"But you will one day?"

"I think so."

"You know I'm here for you no matter what, right?" Ruby smiled as she pulled Emma in for another hug and she stepped back, wrinkling her nose. "You smell like horse."

"I know," Emma chuckled dryly. "God, I'm _so_ sore right now. I don't know if I can handle doing that again. The only way I want to feel this sore again is because of her and not a horse that scared the shit out of me at first!"

"I know, right? It feels like I've been fucked hard for hours," Ruby replied and they both started laughing uncontrollably before Ruby shoved her out of the room and towards the bathroom.

As Emma stripped out of her clothes and turned the water on, she could just faintly hear the sound of Regina and Henry's voices from downstairs and then she heard the laughter and it warmed her heart and made the tears she'd nearly let fall in front of Ruby break free, only they weren't tears of sadness, they were tears of happiness and she wasn't sure how she'd keep her emotions in check for the rest of the day.

Today had definitely been different in many different ways and it wasn't over yet.

* * *

Emma sat beside Regina, the sound of conversations and laughter flowing through the dining room in Regina's house as Kathryn told Henry about David's secret obsession with video games. It had turned into David denying it and then answering all of Henry's questions about some game that Emma had never heard of before. While they talked about video games and comic books, Kathryn and Ruby were deep in conversation, laughing as they would pause in their conversation to look over at Emma and Regina before continuing to whisper between themselves. Emma knew they were talking about her and Regina's relationship that they'd had back in New York eleven years ago, mindful that Henry, although engrossed in his conversation with David, was still sitting right there and could hear them talking more than Emma could.

"Are you all right?" Regina asked, her arm around Emma's shoulders as her fingers played with the ends of her hair. "You've barely said a word since we sat down to eat."

"I don't have anything to say," Emma replied lamely. "But thank you for inviting us."

"You are all more than welcome to come here for dinner any time you'd like," Regina smiled and her lips twitched as she cast a glance over at Henry before leaning in to kiss her softly on the cheek. "I would like it if you three came over more often and not just for dinner either."

"How did your talk with Henry go earlier?" Emma asked, the first chance she had to ask Regina since they'd left the cottage, Regina driving her own car, Emma alone in her Bug and Ruby driving her car with Henry. "You guys seem to be getting along pretty good."

"It went well," Regina said with a warm smile. "I assured him that I do not hate him or that I'm merely trying to tolerate him because I am romantically involved with his mother. I didn't tell him what I had told you, that I felt guilty, because I figured that it was highly inappropriate for me to tell a ten year old things he might not quite understand yet. He told me he liked me because I make you happy and that he wishes that you two could stay here with me."

"Regina, don't…" Emma frowned. "I told you, I don't want to talk about leaving or staying or any of that right now."

"I know, darling, I'm sorry."

"I heard you two laughing just before I went into the shower," she said, trying to steer the conversation back around to something less heavy. "What were you two laughing about?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out," Regina grinned and this time when she leaned towards her to kiss her, she kissed her squarely on the lips, neither seeming to care that they were far from being alone, nor did they notice when the room fell silent and Emma jumped as she received a kick in the shin from Henry under the table.

Emma leaned back in her chair and found herself smiling as the conversations picked right back up around her and Regina was sitting impossibly closer to her now, her arm still around her shoulders and her right hand tracing light, random patterns over her jean-clad thigh. She felt at home there, with her family there and the Nolan's getting along with them as if they'd all known each other for far much longer than they actually did. She felt like this was everything she'd been waiting for, a family of her own, a true family filled with love and laughter and a future that gave them both their happy ending together. And she knew in that moment, and from all the moments before that, leaving would be the hardest thing she'd ever have to do in her life.

She wasn't looking forward to it at all.

* * *

**Author's Notes Cont.: Just a few things to clear up, I _know_ that David is not Kathryn's brother in canon, but since this is an AU, I totally wanted to use them as brother and sister. If that's an issue for you, that's cool, that's your opinion ,and it's not as if they're going to be making very many appearances as brother/sister anyway.**

**Second thing, I know that you guys just want Emma to stay in Storybrooke with Regina, but this story wouldn't be called Miles to Go if I had it planned for her to stay instead of go home at the end of summer. I can promise you guys that there are many, _many_ more chapters to go with this one, so hold on tight because it's gonna be one heck of a ride! Any and all questions you guys have been asking in your reviews will eventually be answered, but until then, I hope you enjoy the story as it all unfolds :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Notes: Thanks, and as always I am so very grateful for your awesome reviews and those who are fave/following the story! I promise I'll update again _really_ soon with the next chapter! Would love to hear your thoughts/reactions/etc, as I always look forward to! Enjoy :)**

* * *

Regina couldn't remember the last time she had ever felt this happy in her life and she knew nothing could measure up to the way she had been feeling since she and Emma began seeing each other again on a regular basis. She didn't—couldn't—think about how she was going to feel once Emma left and they hadn't talked about it. Not once. Not since the first dinner she had invited them to at her home. That had been weeks ago and with Emma's last week in Storybrooke just beginning, Regina didn't want to think about having to say goodbye in just a handful of days.

She was having lunch with Kathryn at the country club, something she hadn't done since the last time she was there with her mother and Eva nearly two months ago. She hadn't spent a lot of time with Kathryn since she had started seeing Emma and she had started to feel terribly guilty for being so distant when it came to her life long best friend. Aside from the handful of dinners Kathryn had been invited to, they hadn't spent any time together, just the two of them.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so happy, Regina," Kathryn said after they had finished off their lunch and were enjoying a glass of wine at their quiet, private table. "You are positively glowing! Is it all the sex you two have been having because maybe I should consider becoming a lesbian and finding myself a lesbian lover who—"

"Kathryn, stop," Regina laughed as she playfully swatted at Kathryn's shoulder. "It's not just the sex," she said quietly even though there was nobody around them to eavesdrop on their conversation. "It's her."

"Of course it is," Kathryn smiled. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Thinking about her."

"I'm always thinking about her," Regina smiled before lifting her glass of wine to her lips and taking a small, tentative sip. "I'm in love with her far more deeply than I was before. The very thought of her leaving is crushing me already and she hasn't left yet."

"You two will make this work. You told me that you two already promised to spend the weekends together, meeting halfway. It won't be easy, Regina, but because you two love each other, you will get through this and she'll come back to you when she is ready to make that move. Right?"

"I want to marry her," Regina whispered, her heart racing at the though and Kathryn squealed loudly, nearly knocking their wine glasses from the table as she leaned forward to hug her. "It's too soon, far too soon to ask her, I know, but I want to marry her one day, Kathryn."

"And you will. I know you will."

"I can already see myself spending the rest of my life with her even though she is leaving at the end of the week. I can see us married and living together with Henry, and we're all so happy and my mother isn't even around to try to destroy our happiness," Regina said and she frowned at the thought of her mother not being around, not because she hated that she couldn't be herself freely and to love who she wanted to love, but because despite it all, she couldn't imagine her mother not being in her life, one way or another, making her miserable or not. "This is crazy, isn't it? Feeling like this? Thinking this way? Wanting to have everything with her, wanting to spend the rest of my life with her, with Henry, as one perfectly little happy family?"

"Not at all," Kathryn smiled warmly at her. "But just promise me one thing?"

"Yes?"

"Promise me that I'll be your maid of honour at your wedding," she chuckled and Regina rolled her eyes, giving her what she knew was a typical Henry reaction of "duh" before catching herself pulling that face unintentionally. "Things have gotten better between you and Henry, I gather?"

"Yes, quite a lot better," Regina replied lightly. "He is a wonderful boy, very kind, very sweet, just like his mother. I love spending time with him and I will miss him terribly as well when they leave. We've only just begun to get to know one another."

"One perfectly happy little family," Kathryn said as she placed a hand over her heart and sighed, a happy smile fluttering over her lips and a look of longing in her eyes. "Have I told you how very jealous I am of you lately?"

Regina simply smiled as she lifted her glass and took another tentative sip. She had been serious when she told Kathryn that she wanted to marry Emma. The thought had crossed her mind a lot in the last few weeks and every time it had, she found herself thinking of nothing else but the future she and Emma could have together. She didn't want to be entirely selfish and imagine their lives there in Storybrooke, but she couldn't see them being together anywhere else but there, in her home, in Storybrooke.

As much as she wanted to play with the thought of leaving, of deserting her family legacy and her career, she couldn't. If her father was still alive, things would be different, but she would still feel that drive to uphold the family legacy in their small, seaside town for as long as she could because she knew what it meant, not just to her mother, but to her father even more so.

She never expected Emma to understand why it was the way it was and Emma had just accepted it, sometimes questioning it, but never was against it in any way or form. It only made her love her more and that was all she ever wanted was for someone to love and understand her in ways nobody else ever could. She knew too about how Emma felt about her keeping their relationship from her own mother a closely guarded secret, but she hadn't made it an issue and Regina loved her more for that alone.

"Do you have a ring?" Kathryn asked, breaking Regina free of her thoughts, blinking at her question in surprise. "You _do_, don't you?"

"Yes," Regina replied guiltily. "I do have a ring."

"You do know this is going to like, drive me insane until you actually ask her, right?"

"I would expect nothing else from you, Kathryn Nolan," Regina chuckled as she raised her glass to Kathryn's and they toasted before drinking together. "And no, I will not tell you what the ring looks like or how much I paid for it. You'll simply have to wait until I ask Emma to marry me and you can see it on her finger for yourself."

"And when will that be?"

"I have absolutely no idea."

"Damn," Kathryn muttered and she grinned as she leaned forward, clinking her glass against Regina's lightly. "Until then, Regina, I am here for you and I will support you in every decision that you make when it comes to Emma Swan."

"What about my mother?"

"She'll find out. You know you cannot keep this from her forever."

"I know."

"You should just tell her."

"I _can't_ do that!" Regina exclaimed, finding no reason to explain herself because Kathryn already knew. "I am not going to let my mother to stand in the way of my happiness. I will love Emma Swan no matter what she thinks or what she tries to do given that she finds out about us. I don't like this, I don't. I want to be able to kiss her when I want to when we're together without worrying about my own mother and what she would do to destroy the happiness we've found together."

"Screw your mother, Regina. This isn't about her, it's about _you_ and you are in love and happy with Emma. Fuck what your mother thinks of you just because you are in love with another woman!"

"Kathryn!"

"What?"

Regina blinked, not used to the crassness coming from her best friend yet she knew what she was saying was true. She needed not to let her mother come between them, to prevent them from being who they were to one another freely. She hated it, she did. She hated lying. She hated hiding. It was just something she had gotten so used to doing the last half of her life that she knew not of another way.

"You want her to stay and she won't?" Kathryn asked her after a moment. "Why don't you go with her back to New York?"

"You know why."

"Don't hold it against me, but this town won't suffer horribly if a Mills' isn't the mayor," Kathryn said bluntly. "You love her. She loves you. You want a lifetime with her so make it happen, Regina."

"I…can't yet."

"You're impossible."

"Love is impossible," Regina countered and they both took a sip from their glass, their frowns matching as their glasses were placed back on the table. "Impossible, but completely worth it."

* * *

Emma watched Henry carefully as he folded and packed some of his clothes into his suitcase. A week, barely that even, was all they had left there and he had chosen that morning to begin packing away some of his things all on his own. He sighed dramatically as he placed one of his folded t-shirts inside his suitcase and frowned as he turned to face her.

"What?"

"Are we really going home?"

"Don't you want to go home, kid?"

"Not really," he replied with the blunt honesty of a ten year old boy. "I like it here, Mom."

"Why?"

"Because you're happy here. With her."

Emma smiled despite the charging, powerful emotions she was fighting inside herself. She didn't want to leave either, but she had to. They had to go back home, back to the life they'd left behind for the summer despite all that had changed, despite the fact that everything was different now. With Henry's childlike innocence, she somehow understood what he was implying yet, she couldn't promise him anything. Not yet. Their summer away had been nothing that Emma had expected and she couldn't make promises she wasn't sure she could keep. She couldn't do that. Not to Henry. Not to Regina. And definitely not to herself.

Emma had already packed up some of her things, not wanting to leave it all to the last minute and take away time she could be spending with Regina instead. She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and checked to see if she'd text her but there was nothing and she frowned as her thumb hovered over the screen before she locked the phone again. She knew that Regina was going to have lunch with Kathryn and when Emma had left her house early that morning, it'd taken them both quite some time to stop kissing each other long enough for Emma to make it out the door.

Last night had been different in many ways. They had a small dinner before retreating to Regina's bedroom where they made love slowly for hours. Emma knew that Regina was trying to memorize every dip and every curve of her body, mapping out almost every inch of her body with her tongue, lips and fingertips. She knew because she had done the same thing with Regina. It wouldn't be the last time they saw each other before she and Henry and Ruby left, but it would be the last endless night they'd be able to have before they left first thing Friday morning.

It felt like it was too soon. She'd only just found her again and she'd be leaving, going back to her own life hundreds of miles away. She knew it was going to be hard for Henry too because they had only just started to get to know each other and he adored Regina, that much Emma knew and he adored her not because Regina was with his mother, but because he had been getting to know her in his own little way. She knew that it had taken time for Regina to get to where she was with Henry, to get through her guilt of not being there for both of them.

Henry didn't know that she felt that way, of course, she never told him and Emma didn't either. She knew that even though Ruby knew about Regina and how she had felt about Henry in the beginning as well, she knew Ruby wouldn't say a word as it was something he was still too young to understand completely.

"I don't want to pack anything else today," Henry said, glancing at his half full suitcase.

"Then don't. How about we go find Ruby and we'll make some lunch?"

"Okay."

Emma watched him run out of the room and into the other, pouncing on Ruby as she laid on the bed, earbuds in and a magazine opened in front of her. She stood in the doorway, watching as Henry exploded into a fit of giggles as Ruby tickled him into oblivion. She smiled and realized in that moment that none of them had ever been as happy in New York as they were there in Storybrooke.

She walked down the stairs and went out the back door, needing to be alone because she didn't want Henry to see her cry. She climbed into the hammock and buried her face into the little pillow she'd left there the day before, soaking the fabric with her silent tears as her heart clenched and she didn't know how she was going to survive leaving behind a whole other life here in Storybrooke.

"Em?" Ruby said gently after Emma had been outside, hiding away in the hammock for almost ten minutes. "Emma, are you okay?"

"No."

Ruby crawled into the hammock with her and Emma allowed herself to be held even though in that moment she just wanted to be alone. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

Ruby sighed as she gently pushed away the strands of hair that clung to her damp cheeks. "It's not like you two will never see each other again," she said quietly, smiling a little despite Emma's tears that were rolling down her cheeks. "You'll have weekends together, won't you?"

"It feels like it's not going to be enough."

"It will be," Ruby assured her. "And it won't be for forever, Em. You'll find your way back here or she'll find her way to New York and you two are gonna make a life together. A happy, loving life together with Henry."

"Do you know why it hurts so much, Ruby? Because for the last two months it feels like we didn't lose those eleven years together. It feels like we've been together all this time and the thought of leaving at the end of the week hurts because I don't want to say goodbye. Not yet."

"But it's not goodbye forever, Em," she smiled and she wiped away Emma's tears before moving her hand to her own face to wipe away the tears that had fallen from her own eyes. "I guess now isn't a good time to mention that Henry wants to ride with me to Boston and then with you the rest of the way."

"That's fine."

Emma knew that once she left Storybrooke, she was going to need to be alone and she didn't want Henry to see her breaking down, breaking apart because she had to leave Regina and her heart behind with her.

"Come on, let's go make some lunch."

"I'm not that hungry."

"I'll make you a sandwich anyway," Ruby said with a smile before she climbed out of the hammock and walked back to the cottage, leaving Emma alone again, yet her tears had subsided and all she could feel was the heaviness in her heart.

She inhaled deeply, swinging a leg over the edge of the hammock as she rocked and swayed in the soft breeze. The exhaustion she felt from not getting much sleep the night before caught up to her and she gave in to the pull of sleep, promising herself she would just close her eyes for a little while.

"Emma?"

Her eyes fluttered open at the soft, husky voice she'd know anywhere and she smiled as she blinked and looked up at Regina standing next to the hammock looking down at her, a brilliant smile curled over her lips.

"Hey," Emma smiled, not moving from the hammock and she reached out for Regina, placing her hands on her hips and pulling her down on to the hammock with her. "Did you just get here?"

"I did. I almost didn't want to wake you, you looked so peaceful lying there, sleeping. I know last night was a long night for the both of us," Regina said quietly and she nuzzled her nose against Emma's as they laid in each others arms. "Have you been crying?"

Regina looked at her with careful, concerned and caring eyes as she gently traced the pad of her thumb over Emma's cheek. Emma didn't have to answer her, she knew that Regina already knew she had been crying earlier. She could still feel the slight stickiness of the dried tears on her cheek and the way that Regina's thumb dragged stiffly over her skin, it was all the answer that was needed.

"How was your lunch with Kathryn?"

"I don't want to talk about my lunch with Kathryn," Regina whispered, her breath spilling over Emma's lips just before she leaned in to kiss her. Their lips lingered for a moment before Regina pulled away, leaving Emma at loss, yearning for more. "Why were you crying, darling?"

"I-I can't do this, Regina."

"Do what?"

"Leave and expect everything to stay the same," she frowned. "What if it's too hard? What if it's just too much, Regina? Every weekend we see each other, it's going to be just as hard to leave you again and again. I don't know how this is going to work, but I already feel like I'm going to spend every week miserable until I can see you again."

"So, we're talking about this now?"

"Yeah, I think we got to," Emma nodded and Regina frowned a little, her brow furrowing as she traced her fingers over Emma's bottom lip. "I can't stay, I want to, but I can't."

"I know. I never expected you to be able to stay, no matter how much things have changed between us. Is it the distance that you are worried about, my love?" Regina asked, her voice quiet and soothing all at once. "We can have every weekend together, Emma. I could look into renting a place in Boston. It'd be considerably cheaper than staying at the Onyx or another hotel. It could be a second home for both of us and—"

"Don't. Don't do this, Regina."

"Why? Isn't that what you wanted, Emma? To spend every weekend together? To meet halfway?"

"You're talking about renting a place for us to stay every weekend. A second home."

"Does it scare you?"

"A little bit."

"Why?"

"Because it feels like it's a step I'm not ready to take yet. To have something permanent yet it's not because we're not there all the time, just on weekends. What if things change after a month, Regina? What if your mother becomes suspicious about your trips out of Storybrooke every weekend and she comes between us, forcing you to stop coming to meet me halfway in Boston? What if I can't talk my way out of not working the weekend shift and we go months without being able to see each other?"

"It won't change how I feel about you if any of that ever happened, Emma. I would miss you terribly and it would not be easy, but we can do this, can't we?"

"I don't know, can we?"

"We certainly must try," Regina smiled, her fingers stroking over Emma's hair gently, their eyes locked in a heavy gaze neither could look away from. "How about we hold off on finding a place of our own in Boston and see how September goes first? Then we can make a decision together, okay?"

"Okay."

"I do hope you know that I want you to bring Henry along sometimes as well. We'll spend the weekend together. I don't want him to think that I don't want to be a part of your family just because there will be hundreds of miles between us."

"Really?"

"Yes, darling, really. I'm growing quite fond of your son," she smiled and Emma couldn't help but smile either. "Yes, things will be different, but how I feel about you, about us, that will never change, Emma. If that is what you're worried about, you get those silly little thoughts out of your head."

Regina distracted her then with a heated kiss that left all her "silly little thoughts" disappearing from the front of her mind almost completely. She lost herself in the kiss, in Regina, and she felt like she was free-falling as the world disappeared from all around them. It was a struggle to keep her hands from wandering, from touching the warm, lithe body that was pressed up snugly to her own. She sighed against Regina's lips as she felt Regina's hands slip under the hem of her soft, blue t-shirt.

Emma smiled as she ran her fingers over the causal slacks that Regina was wearing, her fingers dipping over the curve her her hip and around to slide her hand over the smooth expanse of her pert ass before moving to slide her hand up Regina's back, the silk blouse she wore soft against her palm and she could feel the heat radiating from Regina's body as they continued to kiss slowly and deeply and surely.

Regina pulled apart slowly, smiling as she raised her fingers to Emma's lips and wiped at the lipstick that smudged along her bottom lip. "I have a little surprise for you."

"A surprise?"

"I've called in a favour," she continued, her smile brightening as Emma stared at her with curious eyes. "For the next five days I am not expected to be in my office, nor am I to take on any of the responsibilities that come with being the Mayor because for the next five days because I plan on spending every minute that I can with you. And Henry."

"You booked the week off work?"

"Essentially, yes, but it's more of a favour than booking time off."

"For real, Regina?"

"For real," Regina laughed softly. "So, what shall we do for the next five days, darling?"

Emma, for once, was at complete loss of words. Not once had Regina taken time off work just to spend it with her and she'd been fine with that. They still had their lunches together in her office, dinners at night, and their Saturday nights spent alone and holed up in Regina's bedroom together. They had still made time for each other over the weeks, but not once did Regina even take one day off of work just to spend even more time with her, Henry, and Ruby.

"I don't know, what do you want to do?"

"You," Regina purred and it earned her a playful shove to the shoulder from Emma. They erupted into a fit of giggles and when they died down, Emma sighed contently as she just stared into Regina's brown eyes. "I just want to spend time with you. It does not matter what we do or where we are as long as I am with you."

"And Henry?"

"Yes," Regina nodded, smiling as she reached for Emma's hand and intertwined their fingers. "And Ruby too," she added with a small laugh. "Perhaps tomorrow we can go riding again. I know how much Henry would enjoy that."

"Oh."

"David can take them on a different trail," Regina smiled as she rubbed her thumb over Emma's and sighed. "We can go off on our own for a little while. Perhaps I could pack us a romantic picnic for two?"

"That sounds great, Regina."

"And the day after that, weather permitting, I was thinking of spending the day at the beach. I know how much you all enjoyed that the last time we did just that."

"Hmm," Emma smiled, the sight of Regina in her black, classy bikini forever seared into her brain. "I'd like that."

"Perhaps that evening we can have dinner, just the two of us and you can stay over at my place, that is if Ruby wouldn't mind keeping an eye on Henry yet again."

"She never minds," Emma laughed quietly. "What about the day after that?"

"There will be a fair in town by Wednesday and through the holiday weekend. We can spent the day there with Henry."

"He'd love that."

"Thursday, I would like for it to be just you and I. I want to spend our last day together with you. In bed. Naked. Making love for hours until we're completely, utterly spent."

They kissed then, making a promise to spend the last week Emma had in Storybrooke doing everything Regina had just suggested and more. It meant more than she could even express that Regina had gone out of her way throughout the last couple of weeks to include Henry more and more into their daily plans and dinners and outings to the stables the odd Saturday morning.

Emma was both looking forward to and dreading this last week, because she knew come Friday morning, leaving Regina was _definitely_ going to be one of the hardest things she'll ever have to do in her life.

Because leaving her was going to feel like she was walking away despite them both knowing that wasn't the case. She could already feel those tears building and it wasn't time yet to say goodbye.

* * *

Bright and early the next morning, Emma and Henry showed up at the stables, Ruby deciding to decline the invite this time around, just as she had done every time since the first time they went to the stables with Regina and spent hours riding through the trails. Henry was bouncing in the passenger seat and he was practically flying out the door as Emma parked the Bug next to Regina's car.

"Hey, David!" Henry laughed as he ran over to where David had been carrying a bale of hay into the closest enclosure to the small dirt parking lot.

Emma climbed out of the car slowly, smiling as she watched Regina exit the stables, leading Rocinante and Sunkist out behind her. Regina was positively beaming as Emma strolled over to her, neither hesitating to greet one another with a lustful kiss that lingered for a few moments, earning them both a groan from Henry as he followed David, walking past them with one hand over his eyes.

"Hello, darling," Regina smiled, kissing her once more before she handed Sunkist's reins to her. "I've packed us a little picnic. We should get going, because where I am taking you is quite a ride away from here."

"Let me just go make sure it's okay with David that Henry goes riding with him while we go off and—"

"I've already spoken with David," Regina said gently. "It's fine, darling. He doesn't mind. He's taken quite the liking to your son. He's such a charming boy, isn't he?" When Emma didn't say a word, Regina just laughed and kissed her once more. "I'm sure we'll have our hands full when he starts dating."

_We_. Emma didn't miss that and it made her heart skip a beat or two because Regina hadn't hesitated when she said it at all. Emma wasn't sure what to think, what to say. So, she chose not to address that at all, choosing to change her focus to the day that Regina had planned for the two of them.

"So, where are we going?" Emma asked, waiting for Regina to mount her horse before she attempted to mount her own as smoothly as Regina did. She slipped the first time, her face flushing deeply as she tried again and managed to get up, just barely. Sunkist shuddered under her, but remained calm. "Tell me that gets easier?"

"It does, dear. With practice."

Emma lost herself in Regina's beautifully dazzling smile and she let her lead, pulling on the reins and giving Sunkist a little kick to follow Rocinante and Regina. Her thoughts went back to moments before, when Regina had referred to them as _we_ when it came to Henry. Was Regina already thinking of having a future with her like that, a future where they were raising Henry together? Had they really come that far in two months for Regina to already be thinking of things like that?

Emma wasn't sure how it made her feel. Elated was one way to describe the feeling in her heart, but she was also scared because this was their last week together in Storybrooke and there was no telling how different things were going to be after this week was over. She wasn't ready for this to be their last week there, she wasn't ready for any of it, for leaving, for having to say goodbye.

She wasn't sure how long they rode on one of the trails Regina had never taken her before, but the silent was comforting in a way and Emma was far too focused on not falling off her gentle horse than on the hundreds of thoughts that were constantly swirling in her mind. As Regina slowed Rocinante down to a stop by a rolling meadow, she dismounted and moved to grab a hold of Sunkist's reins, motioning for Emma to follow suit. As soon as her feet were on solid ground, she found herself wrapped up in Regina's arms, their lips melded together in a deep, needy kiss.

Regina pulled apart, smiling another dazzling smile at Emma and she could only watch as she led the horses to a tree and tied the reins loosely. She slipped off the bag that was attached to Rocinante's saddle and slung the strap over her shoulder.

"Come, darling," Regina smiled as slipped a hand into Emma's and let her out into the meadow. "I know the perfect spot. It's a place I haven't shared with anyone."

"A secret spot?" Emma asked and felt her smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Yes," Regina said, squeezing her hand as they walked through the waist high grass before they reached a small little clearing, just big enough to spread out a blanket for the two of them to lay on. "I was saving this spot for a day like today."

"Hmm? Is that right?"

"Yes."

Emma watched as Regina pulled out a small blanket and made quick work of spreading it on the ground before she pulled out a container of food, a small bottle of wine and two plastic wine glasses. She sat down, staring up at Emma, still smiling that same brilliantly dazzling smile that had Emma's heart twisting and melting at. Regina patted the space on the blanket beside her and as Emma sat down, she instant found her lips being captured by Regina's in another desperately needy kiss.

Emma laid back and pulled Regina down with her, their hands sliding under each other's shirts to splay their palms against heated flesh. They panted heavily against parted lips and neither moved to get up, both perfectly content laying there, Regina on top of Emma, hands wandering, lips ghosting over one another's as green eyes bore into brown ones.

"Did you bring me out here so we could have sex?"

Regina laughed, her voice husky as she nodded her head, an eyebrow raising as Emma's wandering hands stilled just under the clasp of her bra. "If I did, would you protest against me having my way with you in the middle of a field?"

"No," Emma said without hesitation. "Not at all."

It was all lips and tongues and teeth as they devoured each other, hands grasping and pulling at clothes, ridding each other of them one piece at a time. Regina was in full control and Emma was willing. This was new, being outside with the warm late summer sun beating down on their flushed bodies. It made Emma feel so exposed, not just to Regina, but to their entire surroundings.

Regina licked over the love bites she'd left just days before, small ones that marred her flesh just under her breasts and over the dip in each of her hips as she straddled Emma's thighs, her body hovering just as she teased her with her lips and tongue, her heavy-lidded brown eyes watching Emma as she moved over her marked skin slowly.

Emma moaned softly as Regina's hands went to her thighs and she spread them slowly, moving to kneel between them as her fingertips teasingly danced over tender skin, slightly red from the long ride they had taken to get there.

"Does it hurt?" Regina whispered lightly as she moved to lay between Emma's legs, her lips kissing over the skin of her inner thighs slowly, lovingly and tenderly. "Emma?"

"No, no it doesn't hurt. It is just a little…tender."

"Mmm," Regina murmured, her tongue snaking out across her inner left thigh, her fingers spreading her pussy open wide for her to devour her whole.

"Oh, Regina," Emma breathed out breathlessly at the feel of Regina's hot, agile tongue sliding over her cunt.

Regina's own moans of pleasure filled the air all around them, mixing into the sounds of nature and the birds that chirped in the trees not far from where they were in the middle of the grassy meadow. Emma's hands gripped at the blanket, her back arching off the ground as her mouth fell open into a silent cry and her eyes slammed shut tight.

It was perfect and it felt far more romantic that she had imagined it. From the sounds of the birds chirping, to the horses braying not far from them, to the sound of buzzing as Regina's lips and tongue were suddenly gone from her center and Emma leaned up on her elbows, confusion marring her face as she looked down at the brunette between her legs, grinning almost wickedly.

"Regina?"

"Yes?"

"What is that noise—ah!" Emma gasped as she felt the cool metal against her skin, the small yet powerful vibrations shooting through her core. "Holy fuck, Regina! A little warning would be nice next time!"

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it, my love?" Regina whispered, her hot breath spilling over her as she slid the small silver bullet around Emma's pulsating clit.

"Fuck!"

It was almost too much for Emma, mostly because she hadn't expected it and mostly because she was already so painfully turned on from the teasing of Regina's tongue over her that she was so close to the edge and she was going to cum, harder than she had in days. As Regina clicked it off, her mouth was on her again, her tongue sliding in deep, twisting and turning, drinking her in completely.

She was right on the edge, even more so, when the skies darkened and the clouds opened up, cold rain falling from the sky out of nowhere. Regina didn't stop, not until Emma came screaming her name, her voice barely drowned out by the driving rain and they both kissed quickly, laughing against each other's lips as they realized what was happening.

"Oh my god," Emma laughed as they scrambled to grab their clothes, pulling the wet clothes on with some difficulty. "Tell me that did not just happen!"

"Spontaneous storms do happen," Regina chuckled as she pushed her wet hair back from her face and pulled Emma in for a lingering kiss. "Come on, my love, let's head back and we'll finish where we left off tonight."

"And your surprise?"

"Did you like it?"

"No," Emma said and Regina frowned. She laughed as she kissed her hard on the lips, her eyes blinking rapidly through the rain. "I loved it."


	20. Chapter 20

Emma lay in the warm sun, the breeze cool off the water, but she wore her bikini as she laid on the blanket, propped up on her elbows as she watched Regina and Henry race each other down to the water, both of them squealing as they ran in as far as they could stand before running back up onto the beach.

She watched with appreciative eyes as Regina dared Henry to run back into the water with her, to go further than they had before. She wore the same classy black bikini as before, perfectly fitting on her body, covering her up as modestly as a bikini could and yet Emma found it to be the sexiest thing she'd ever seen and as she peered over the tops of her sunglasses, Ruby poked her arm as she sat down next to her on the blanket.

"You're drooling, Em."

"I am not!"

"Can't say I can't blame you though," Ruby chuckled lewdly and it earned her a warning glare from Emma before she focused her attention back on Regina again. "You know how lucky you are, don't you?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm not even gay and yet I can totally appreciate how good she looks in that bikini. How can she look so classy and so fucking sexy at the same time?"

"Because she's Regina," Emma replied softly, smiling as Regina ran further into the water than Henry, who was still standing on the beach laughing as Regina turned to mock glare at him for tricking her that time. "I didn't think they'd get along like this."

"No, me neither."

"Henry adores her," she continued, watching as Regina stalked towards Henry and chased him over the beach, flicking the cool ocean water at him as she gained speed quickly. "I'm still not sure how she feels about him, you know? I mean, I don't expect her to love my son so quickly because he's a part of me. I mean, she felt guilty being around him before, Rubes. What if she still feels that way?"

"Does it look like it?" Ruby mused and Emma shook her head no as they watched Regina wrap an arm around Henry's shoulders and playfully ruffle his hair. "Not that it matters or anything, but it's kind of funny how much they look alike, isn't it?"

Emma ignored her comment, having thought that herself especially over the last few weeks when it became more of a regular thing for them to all spend time together. She wasn't sure where Henry got his dark locks from, maybe they came from Neal's side or one of her birth parents' had dark brown hair. It wasn't something she often thought about because Henry was her son and that was all that mattered in the end.

She thought back to what Regina had told her, about why Henry made her feel so guilty and it tore at her heart because if she had been there for all of Henry's life, there would be no mistake that they _were _a family, one perfectly happy little family. Anyone who would look at them would've clearly seen it and it was thoughts like those too that Emma had been so careful not to let herself run away with.

"Ruby, come on!" Henry called out as Regina stared to walk back over to the blanket, her chest heaving as she ran her fingers through her damp hair. "Race me?"

"Don't fall for it, it's a trick," Regina chuckled as she grabbed a folded towel on top of the blanket Emma and Ruby were laying on to dry herself off. "Perhaps you can get him back for me, Ruby? Give him a taste of his own medicine?"

"Oh I'll give him a taste of his own medicine and then some, trust me on that," Ruby chuckled as she pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail and took off towards where Henry was standing on the practically deserted beach with his tongue sticking out.

"Having fun, Regina?" Emma grinned as she watched Regina drop her towel and sit on the blanket next to her.

"Yes, I am actually. I just needed a break."

"I think you just wanted to spend some time alone with me."

"That as well, darling."

Emma glanced over the virtually deserted beach and aside from two teenagers fishing off the docks a few hundred feet away, there was no one else around and they practically had the small beach to themselves. She used the opportunity to catch Regina by surprise and kissed her on the cheek before reaching out to grab her chin gently and turn her face so she could kiss her fully on her parted lips.

"Emma what are you—"

She shook her head, kissing her once more, unable to resist herself despite they were in public yet the only ones there on the beach that day. She could feel Regina resisting, her lips unmoving and she let her chin go, frowning as Regina looked down at her disapprovingly.

"Emma, you know we can't—"

"Nobody else is around," Emma whispered and she frowned when Regina barely moved beside her, her brown eyes darting around the empty beach worryingly. An idea popped into her head but she wasn't sure if Regina would go for it. She moved to pull the big beach umbrella out from the ground and positioned it so they were both well hidden behind it. "Can I kiss you now?"

"Emma…"

"Look, I know it's stupid and probably really obvious what we're doing behind this umbrella and everything, but I haven't kissed you since last night," Emma said with a pout. She knew the pout always worked. The pout was dangerous and it was a weak spot for Regina.

Regina caved moments later, smiling lovingly at her as she leaned in and kissed her softly, her lips lingering for a moment before giving in completely. The kiss, however, didn't last long as a gust of wind swept the umbrella away and they burst into a fit of giggles as Henry stood just two feet away, mock gagging and rolling his eyes, unable to hide his own smile at his mother's happiness.

Emma couldn't help but smile either. It was moments like this that made everything in her life better and it was moments like this with Regina that she would forever cherish because that's what it was all about in life, the little moments.

* * *

Regina watched in delight as Henry grabbed on to Emma's hand, leading her through the entrance of the fairgrounds, pointing out at all the rides and all the games and concession stands. He looked delightfully overwhelmed as Emma did.

They had all piled into the yellow Bug after Regina met them at the Diner just before lunch. The fairgrounds were on a farm, twenty minutes out of town and after Regina explained how it only came once a year, she knew it didn't surprise any of them that the place was packed and they ended up parking almost a mile away from the entrance. Regina had wanted to hold on to Emma's hand as they walked along the road to where the entrance was. She wanted to hold her hand and kiss her as her eyes lit up in delight at the sights and sounds of the rural fairground that was far different than anything she'd ever seen before in her life.

Yet, the entire town seemed to be there and Regina feared people with lingering, curious eyes would be looking out for any signs of affection between the two. It had been hard over the summer to keep their hands to themselves, to keep those small lingering gazes from lingering too long, to keep their conversations light and the flirting almost always got out of hand before one of them stopped the other or Henry or Ruby would cast them a look that told them they were acting like a pair of teenagers in love.

It hadn't been easy, but beyond closed doors or at the stables or the cottage, they were free to be themselves completely and they had fully taken advantage of it every single time. Regina didn't want to think about how much she'd miss that, all of it, even moments like this where all she wanted to do was reached out and slip her hand into Emma's and never let go.

"Come on, Mom, let's go buy ride tickets and ride all the rides!" Henry laughed and he stopped and reached for Regina's hand, smiling up at her. "Will you come on the rides with us, Regina?"

"Of course I will," she said, smiling down at him for a second before her eyes met Emma's and she saw the same childlike excitement in her eyes that mirrored her son's.

Regina was thoroughly amused and took great delight in their excitement, especially in Emma's because the smile on her face as she looked back at her was breathtaking, so much that Regina felt her heart skip a beat and fill up completely with nothing but love and adoration for the woman of her dreams.

For hours she followed the trio, mostly led by Henry, sometimes Ruby, sometimes Emma. It was such a happy day watching the three of them fully enjoying themselves, riding as many rides as they could ride, playing as many games as they could and the only thing any of them one was a tiny stuffed wolf that Henry gave to Ruby. After Emma convinced Regina to come on the ferris wheel with her, she gave in and sat with her reluctantly, not willing to admit she was afraid something would happen if they got stuck at the top.

Of course when the ride stopped at the top after two rotations, Regina immediately grabbed on to Emma's hand tightly, her heart leaping into her chest and Emma was laughing—_laughing!_—at her as she leaned into her side. And then they were kissing and Regina forgot just for a moment where they were, Emma calming her down instantly with a simple, sweet, loving kiss.

"Is it over yet?" Regina asked, her eyes still closed as Emma held her hand just as tight back. "Emma?"

"Relax," Emma whispered into her ear. "Open your eyes."

"No."

Emma's lips were on hers again and she opened her eyes as the ride began moving again. She kissed Emma quickly, wanting the ride to be over but also wanting to spend a few more minutes stuck at the top of the ferris wheel and kissing the love of her life.

As soon as they were on solid ground, it took Regina a moment to realize she was still holding on to Emma's hand tightly, yet she didn't make a move to let go, not as Henry bounced over to them and pulled at their joined hands, chattering excitedly about the four of them sharing a blooming onion before going on all the rides again.

After indulging in some deep fried foods, most of which Regina barely touched, they called it a day and walked the mile back to the yellow Bug, Ruby and Henry climbing in the back while Regina sat in the front next to Emma. Emma reached over, smiling as they intertwined their fingers and she drove them to the Diner, both of them listening to the excited chatter in the backseat unfolding between Ruby and Henry.

Over an hour later, they were in Regina's car, driving to her house, ready to spend a quiet night together before spending the entire next day just the two of them. Regina was both looking forward to it and dreading it because she could already feel how bittersweet it would be between them. It would be different than last weekend where they had spent hours making love, never rushing, just feeling one another, losing themselves in one another, fingers and lips mapping out each other's body, memorizing not just in their minds but also in their hearts.

"Hey," Emma said gently as Regina unlocked her front door and they didn't touch one another until they were inside. "I know that tonight and tomorrow is supposed to be about us, but I'm exhausted, Regina."

"I know, darling, I as well."

"Can we just…go to sleep now?"

Regina tried not to let the disappointment show and instead she nodded her head, smiling as she took Emma's hand in her and led her upstairs to her bedroom. Regina watched as Emma stripped out of her clothes and crawled into her bed, watching with tired, heavy-lidded eyes as Regina took her time undressing at the foot of the bed, hoping it would have it's desired effect on the gorgeous blonde in her bed.

With a slight frown when she realized that Emma was struggling to stay away, she turned off the lights and crawled under the soft sheets next to her, instantly finding herself wrapped up in warm, strong arms. As they shared a small kiss goodnight, Regina felt Emma mouth 'tomorrow' against her lips and she closed her eyes, smiling as she succumbed to the pull of sleep.

* * *

She had lost count of the hours as her body moved with Regina's, her lips kiss swollen and still aching for more. Regina scratched down her back with her short, manicured nails as Emma thrust against her harder, that delicious ache between her legs intensifying by every passing second.

"Regina," she whispered, just to say her name, just to feel her name rolling past her lips because it felt and tasted so good she couldn't get enough of it. Enough of her.

They had barely left the room since they woke up that morning, neither of them able to stop for very long. Emma didn't want this day to be over, she didn't want this week to be over and she definitely didn't want this summer to be over. It felt too soon, it felt like the week had gone by far too quick and she had to fight her tears every time the thought rolled across her mind.

"Emma, don't stop," Regina groaned, her nails digging into the tender flesh of her shoulders as she thrust harder, a host of new sensations rippling between both of them as Emma thrust the rubber cock harder and deeper inside of Regina. "Emma, fuck!"

Emma clenched her eyes shut tightly, the leather straps of the strap-on digging into her upper thighs as she increased the pace of her thrusts, unable to get enough of the strangled cries and moans that escaped past Regina's lips.

They hadn't planned on it getting this far, to trying something new on their last day together for god knows how long, but when Regina had tentatively mentioned it, it'd made Emma curious and after some pleading and making Regina come undone several times with her lips and tongue, she swayed Regina into bringing out something she had purchased recently and had been too afraid to bring it up with her.

Emma didn't give it much of a second thought and after they burst out into a fit of giggles trying and failing to fit the device on to Emma, the mood had suddenly shifted as Emma knelt on the middle of the dishevelled bed and watched as Regina licked over her lips and ducked her head down, taking the rubber phallus between her lips and sucked on it, pulling at it and causing the piece inside Emma to shift. She had to keep her libido in check in that moment, wanting nothing more than to flip Regina on her back and fuck her senseless.

It had been so slow at first, it being their first time and they were quiet as Emma slid it into her slowly for the first time and found herself being pulled down for a wild, wanton kiss that had her pumping her hips down into Regina's and they didn't hold back, not after Regina gripped on to her ass and demanded that she fuck her hard and fast.

She not only lost count of the hours they'd been making love and fucking, she lost count of how many times she'd made Regina cum screaming her name with the little addition between them and in both of them in more ways than one. She stilled her hips as Regina's orgasm pulsated through her body, their lips meeting in a lazy, wet kiss, lips smiling as Emma slowly pulled the rubber cock out from inside of her and panted as she laid to Regina's side, her whole body on edge and ready for release she had been close to but hadn't quite reached that plateau that time around.

"I can barely feel my toes," Regina murmured with a smile as she idly traced her fingertips over Emma's clammy skin, her fingers teasing over hard nipples as their eyes bore into each other's in a heady, lustful gaze. "Oh."

"Hmm?"

"Take it off," Regina said as she reached for the straps, tugging at them, trying to get them undone. When she pulled it free and tossed it aside, the hungry look in her eyes had a wave of arousal pouring through Emma's body. "Grab on to the headboard," Regina demanded, her voice heavy and thick with desire.

Emma didn't have to be told twice, her body moving swiftly up the bed, her knees on either side of Regina's face as she gripped tight on to the headboard, so tight her knuckles went white before Regina's tongue even dipped out for a taste. Emma threw her head back as Regina wrapped her arms around her thighs and pulled her down on to her face.

"Fuck!" Emma cried out, her whole body nearly exploding at Regina's insisted, hot, wet tongue against her core, fucking her hole into abandon until she clenched her eyes so tightly all she could see were stars. "Oh god, Regina…I-I can't…god, your fucking mouth…!"

Regina purred, sending a shockwave of pleasure straight through her core and she gripped tighter on to the headboard, her legs feeling weak as she felt herself come undone as she rode Regina's face. She didn't—couldn't—open her eyes until she felt the soft touch of Regina's fingers over her wrists, encouraging her to let go while moving her to lay next to her on the bed.

"I can never, ever get enough of you, my love," Regina whispered, pulling her in for a deep, languid kiss.

"Nor can I."

They laid there, holding on to one another, watching one another as the warm, late afternoon sun shone in through the windows, bathing them in its golden light as their eyes grew heavy, both fighting the physical and mental exhaustion the day had brought for both of them.

When Emma woke an hour later, she laid there just watching Regina as she slept peacefully in her arms. They had never made love to the point where it had escalated for hours on an end and the ache between her legs and the many little love bites Regina had left behind on her body reminded her of just how amazing it had been.

"Mmm, Emma, don't go," Regina murmured sleepily as Emma shifted and slipped out of her arms, sitting up with her back to Regina as she shakily ran her fingers through her hair. "Emma?"

"It's almost six," she said quietly, not turning to look at her lover behind her. "I—I have to go. I have to pack."

"Emma, don't go."

"I have to," she sighed heavily, standing up on shaky legs as she plucked her clothes off the bedroom floor where she had left them the night before. She could barely bring herself to look over at Regina laying in bed, watching her as she dressed herself and when she did, the look in Regina's eyes nearly broke her head. "I'm sorry, Regina. I really do have to pack. There's just…so much to do before we leave in the morning."

"Can I have one last kiss before you go?"

Emma smiled and nodded as she knelt on the bed beside Regina and leaned down to kiss her. The kiss itself was rather chaste compared to all the others they had shared, but Emma knew that Regina could feel the love pouring through it still.

"I love you," Emma whispered as she opened the bedroom door.

"I love you."

It wasn't until Emma was outside that she realized her Bug was still at the cottage. With a bitter laugh escaping past her lips, she called Ruby and asked her to come pick her up at the Diner, not saying another word to her before she hung up her phone and turned it off. She was a mess by the time Ruby pulled up in her red sports car and she never said a word, just cried quietly as Ruby drove them back to the cottage.

She wasn't ready to leave Regina behind. She wasn't ready for this to be over even though she knew that it wasn't going to be completely over, their summer of rekindled love was coming to an end, far faster than she had wanted it to…

She just wasn't ready to go home yet because Regina felt like home. Because Regina was it for her and she would never feel so safe, so loved, unless she was there.

With her.

* * *

Regina pulled her car to a stop away from Emma's yellow Bug and Ruby's flashy red sports car early Friday morning. While the blonde was nowhere to be seen, Ruby was carrying a box of things out to her car and waved at Regina as she just sat there, her hands gripping tight onto the steering wheel.

The entire summer had been amazing, every moment feeling like it was a dream. But it had been real. All of it and Regina wouldn't have traded a single moment for anything else in the world, not even to have another week with Emma, another month, even. The last week had felt so bittersweet, but they had made the most of their time left in Storybrooke together and it was worth it because Regina could feel the happiness that Emma had felt and not just with Emma, but Henry as well. It truly made her feel like she was a part of their family and that made this morning far harder than it needed to be.

From the ride through the trails and the picnic they had at the beginning of the week, to the day they spent on the beach, acting like a perfect little happy family, to the day at the fair which she had watched in amusement as Emma, Ruby and Henry practically ran to each ride like a handful of children, giggling and laughing and thoroughly enjoying themselves. Emma had come home with her after they all had dinner at the Diner together despite filling up on fairground food and cotton candy all afternoon. They were exhausted from the long day at the fair, both falling asleep far too early for Regina's liking, but they had fallen asleep in each others arms and she couldn't ask for anything more than just that.

Yesterday had felt almost bittersweet, much like it had the previous weekend when they had spent hours in her bed. But Emma hadn't stayed the night, apologizing for leaving her because she still had to pack up the rest of their things. Regina had never felt so alone, so empty as she struggled to fall asleep last night and she was up, bright and early, showered and dressed and out the door and into her car well before seven o'clock. And there she was now, still sitting in her car and fighting wave after wave of emotion she was going through.

"Hey, Regina," Henry smiled as he walked over to the driver's side of her car. "Are you going to get out?"

"Yes, Henry, I just need a moment…"

"Mom is inside," he said quietly and he bit his bottom lip in the worrisome way that Emma did at times. "She's kind of upset."

"Upset?" Regina asked, quickly undoing her seatbelt and climbing out of the car.

"She's not crying or anything, but she broke a few glasses she was packing up in the kitchen. On purpose, I think."

"Hey, kid, come help me grab the rest of your stuff from the bedroom, yeah?" Ruby called out and Henry nodded running off with Regina following close behind.

She entered the cottage with a bit of hesitation. Gone were most of the items she'd grown accustomed to seeing in the living room, personal items of Emma's, Henry's comics and video games and Ruby's magazines were gone off the coffee table as well. She made her way to the kitchen, flinching as she heard the tell-tale sound of glass breaking. She stepped inside and was greeted by the sight of Emma standing in the middle of the kitchen, broken glass at her feet and her fists clenched at her side as a half-filled box of glasses wrapped in newspaper sat on top of the kitchen table.

Regina stepped carefully over the glass, it crunching under her heels. She wrapped her arms around Emma and felt her body jerk and shudder as she started to cry and Emma clung to her, her body feeling heavy against Regina's own as they just held on to one another.

"Hey," Regina smoothed against Emma's back as Emma swallowed thickly, her face buried into her neck as she refused to let go. "Do you need a hand, darling?"

"It just slipped," Emma murmured against her skin and hair. "I didn't mean to let it drop and then the next one just…"

Regina managed to move back from Emma just enough to cup her face with both hands and she smiled at her, peppering kissing over her trembling lips before Emma let go of her. "It's all right, I'll help you clean up the mess. Do you have a broom anywhere?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded, pointing to the broom and dustpan that were propped up near the back door. "I-I thought you weren't coming over until later? Until we were leaving?"

"I thought I'd come early, spend a little bit of time with you before you leave."

Regina busied herself with the broom and dustpan, sweeping up the broken glass and dumping it in the garbage bad that lay open by the other side of the kitchen table. Her hands were shaking as she swept the floor once more to make sure she'd gotten every shard of glass and she felt warm hands slip over her hips and a warm, strong body pressed up against her back.

She turned in Emma's arms, her own tears brimming in her eyes as she leaned in to kiss the beautiful and breathtaking woman in front of her. She thought she could let her go, to hold back the tears until she was gone so Emma wouldn't have to see her cry, but it was just too much and this was really happening. It felt like she was about to just let Emma get away from her.

_This isn't goodbye forever, this is goodbye for now._

The words she'd used to convince herself earlier weren't working anymore. Her heart clinched in her chest as she lost herself in the feel of Emma's insistent lips and tongue against her own. She nearly stopped when she heard Henry's voice, but Emma held on to her tighter and she groaned quietly into her mouth, her fingers sliding through golden curls as she pulled Emma impossibly closer.

"You should probably go say goodbye to Henry and Ruby. They're leaving soon and I'm just…going to finish up in here," Emma whispered against her lips, both of them trembling in each other's arms before Regina stepped out of Emma's warm embrace and wiped away at her own tears that had fallen. "I'll just…finish up. Go, Regina. Go say goodbye."

"Emma…" Regina trailed off, suddenly finding it far too overwhelming to face the woman she loved so deeply in that moment. She turned on her heels and made her way outside where Ruby and Henry were standing by the idling sports car. "Hey," Regina smiled down at Henry and she suddenly felt his arms wrap around her in a tight hug.

"I'm going to miss you, Regina," Henry whispered. "But I'll see you again soon, won't I?"

"Of course, dear," Regina smiled down at him and she ruffled his shaggy hair before he let go of her and climbed into the car without another word. "Ruby," Regina smiled easily at Emma's best friend, a woman who was more like a sister to her than anything else. "I need you to promise me you'll take care of her when I cannot."

"I will," Ruby nodded. "It's going to be…rough at first for her, but she's strong, Regina. She's the strongest woman I've ever known. Leaving you is…"

"I know," Regina said quietly and her eyes went wide in surprise as Ruby hugged her, the hug itself short and she found herself being kissed lightly on the cheek before Ruby dashed around to the drivers side of the car. "Goodbye," she whispered, waving to Henry as he stuck his arm out the open window, smiling at her as Ruby backed up the car and drove away down the gravel driveway.

Regina placed a hand over her stomach, suddenly feeling nauseated as she knew this was really happening, that this was her last few moments with Emma for who knew how long. A week or two at most, still far too long after spending weeks upon weeks together. She turned when she heard the front door of the cottage open and Emma walked out carrying the box of glasses she had been packing before. She put them in the trunk and piled a few other smaller boxes in the back that had been sitting on the ground by the car. She slammed the trunk shut loudly and Regina felt herself rooted to the spot, watching as she walked back to the cottage and pulled the door shut and locked it. Emma sighed heavily, her shoulders sagging before she turned around and walked over to where Regina stood just a few feet from her yellow Bug.

"Regina…"

"Emma," she pleaded with her eyes as they both moved to wrap their arms around one another. "Stay, please."

"I can't. You know I can't."

"Please, darling, stay here with me," Regina pleaded, her tears flowing freely as she held on to Emma with everything that she had. "Please don't go."

"I have to."

"I can't bear the thought of not being able to see you every day—"

"Regina…please," Emma sobbed as she clutched at the back of Regina's shirt, her fists balling up the material in tight, clenched fists. "Please don't make this any harder than it already is. We knew this day was coming and there's nothing that I-I can do to—"

"I'm begging you to stay," Regina said quietly, her voice hitching as her breath got caught in her chest. "Please?"

"I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

"Regina…" Emma shook her head as she tried to detach herself from Regina's tight hold and once she was free, she shook her head again and held up a hand to stop Regina from trying to grab on to her again. "I love you, Regina," Emma whispered and she fished out her keys from her pocket. "I'll call you when I-I'm home, just so you know I got home safe."

"Emma, please. Don't walk away from me!"

"I'm not walking away from you!" Emma yelled and her tears were flowing just as freely as Regina's were. "You knew this was going to happen and now you're _begging_ me to stay even though you told me you understood why I can't! Why are you doing this? I can't do this, Regina, I can't make you feel like I'm leaving you for good. Why are you doing this? Why? You know what? I can't do this. I just…can't."

Regina grasped at her heart and the words, "because I love you," barely spilled past her lips as Emma climbed into her car, the engine roaring to life in seconds. "Because I love you," Regina said quietly to herself, watching as Emma drove away, leaving her standing there with tears streaking down her cheeks. "Because I love you so much…"


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Notes: You guys are wonderful, thank you all for your amazing reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter and continue to let me know your thoughts on the story. Your reviews are very, very much appreciated!**

* * *

For every mile that passed, it was another mile put between her and Regina and Emma's heart was aching as she tried to keep her focus on the road ahead of her. Her tears had all but dried up by the time she drove out of Storybrooke. She hadn't bothered to turn on the radio, silent and the sound of the car driving along the interstate keeping her thoughts company, thoughts that had her wanting to stop the car, turn back around and drive back to Storybrooke and into Regina's arms.

Where she belonged. Where she should be right then and there. Where she needed to be more than anything else in the world. Where she was meant to be for the rest of her life and there she was, driving along the interstate and heading home.

She wanted to turn around so badly, but she was fighting the urge to do it, knowing that if she did, leaving her again would be so much harder and it would hurt so much more. She couldn't do that to Regina. She couldn't do that to herself. If this was hard, what were their weekends going to be like? Would it be so impossible to leave one another without tears being shed, without hearts breaking over and over again? Emma wasn't even sure she could handle the miles between them and the miles they would have to go just to be together.

It had been easier not having Regina in her life at all. At least then she could cope. At least then when her sadness crept up on her, she could just cry herself to sleep. It'd be different now, especially with all the new memories they had made together over the past two months. Especially since Emma knew she loved her far deeper than she had eleven years ago. It was so deep in her heart and her soul that every mile put between them caused a driving ache to fill her, an ache she couldn't quite shake off.

"Fuck," Emma rasped as she gripped on to the steering wheel tighter, her knuckles going white in a matter of seconds. Her cell phone rang from where it sat on the seat next to her and with a quick glance, she saw that it was Ruby calling. She hit answer, turning it to speakerphone and held her phone in her lap. "Hey, Ruby."

"Hey, Em."

Silence. Nothing but silence. Emma could barely swallow the lump in her throat now and she could feel her eyes stinging, yet no tears came.

"Is that Mom on the phone?" Emma heard Henry ask, his voice faint. "Hi, Mom! Where are you? We're already in Boston!"

Emma looked at the sign quickly just as she drove under it. "I'm about forty minutes away. I ran into some traffic a few miles back that slowed me down."

Had she really been on the road for over three and a half hours? It surely hadn't felt like that and in some way it felt like she had literally just left Storybrooke moments ago. She kept her focus on the traffic on the road all around her and heard noises over the line of the phone being passed back to Ruby.

"Hey, Em? Are you okay?"

"No."

"Are you okay enough to drive?"

"I made it this far, Rubes, I'll be fine. Really. I'll see you guys soon, okay?"

"Em?"

"What?" Emma snapped and she took a few deep breaths to try to calm herself. "I'm sorry, Ruby. It's just…whew…there was no way I was prepared for today. I thought I could do this. I thought I could say goodbye without losing it completely."

"What happened?"

"Can we…talk about this when I'm not doing 70 in a 65mph stretch right now?"

"Okay, we'll hang out where we said we were going to meet. Call me when you get close, yeah?" Ruby asked and Emma gripped at the steering wheel tight with her left hand. "Em?"

"I will, Ruby."

Emma hung up and tossed her phone to the seat beside her, placing her right hand back on the steering wheel as she changed lanes, moving to the middle to overtake a few slower moving cars. She kept up her speed, her yellow Bug's engine began struggling a little yet she kept her foot on the gas, pressing down harder as her emotions started to flood through her again, stronger and harder than before.

Tears she had thought had dried up sprang to her eyes and she quickly blinked past them, the Bug swerving in the middle lane a little. The car next to her honked it's horn at her, the man behind the wheel yelling at her angry, giving her the finger as he slowed down, allowing her to gain some substantial space between their cars.

Emma was thinking about Regina, thinking about the summer in Storybrooke, a summer that was supposed to be about rest and relaxation and spending time with her son, not finding Regina Mills and falling back in love with her all over again.

Emma slammed her hands against the steering wheel, her eyes burning with tears that weren't there and she almost swerved again, gripping on to the steering wheel tightly before she switched lanes again, barely noticing the flashing lights behind her until the state troopers car was right behind her own.

"Fuck, can this day get any worse?" Emma groaned as she started to slow down, doing it quickly and safely as she could before sliding the gear shift into park and idling the engine at the side of the busy highway.

She knew the drill and the fact that most officers would run the plates, taking their sweet time doing so half the time and she swallowed thickly, threading her fingers through her hair as she looked in the review mirror and back at the state troopers car behind her. She was barely going ten over the limit, if that. She waited until the state trooper climbed out of his car and walked to the driver's side of the Bug, his eyes glancing down at the dent in the door before Emma rolled down the window and looked up at him.

"Good morning, officer."

"Ma'am," he nodded, peering into her car from where he stood, his thumbs hooked over his belt, the look in his steel grey eyes hard as stone. "License and registration please."

"It's just in the glove box," Emma said and she reached over, knowing he was watching her every move and she plucked out her registration and insurance information along with a secondary copy of her driver's license. "Was I doing something wrong?"

He said nothing as she handed him the small sleeve with all her information and placed her hands back on the steering wheel as she stared straight ahead. This day definitely couldn't get any worse.

"Caught you doing 77," he said as he scribbled down her information on his pad quickly and he barely glanced at her when he handed her information back. "For a car this old, I was surprised you even got it running over the limit."

"I wasn't aware I was going that fast, sir."

"Hmm." He paused as he glanced down at his pad of paper and then peered at her in the car as she looked up at him, her hands still on the wheel as she made no move to put the small sleeve of her information back in the glove box. "Officer Swan, I'm letting you off with a warning this time but next time I catch you on my stretch going over the limit, I won't be easy on you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

Emma barely waited until he was back in his patrol car before she was back on the road, this time a little more mindful of her speed as she headed for Boston. Her hands were shaking as she turned on the radio, keeping the volume at a level that was comfortable for the rest of the drive to the city to meet up with Ruby and her son.

* * *

Regina sat on her sofa in the study, her legs curled under her and a mug of warm apple cider wrapped in both hands. She felt numb, far too numb. Her thoughts were muddled and her heart was aching, aching not broken, but it still hurt. It still hurt even though she had known this day was coming and there had been nothing she couldn't done to stop it, to convince Emma to stay.

It had taken her almost four hours before the thought of being alone in her house was too much to bear and when she heard the front door click open and Kathryn's voice call out for her, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She sipped her cider as Kathryn found her in the study.

"Oh, Regina," she frowned as she walked over to where she sat on the sofa, her heels clicking loudly against the marble floor. "What on earth areyou _wearing_?"

Regina couldn't help but manage a sharp, cold laugh. Of course Kathryn would notice the fact that she wore a pair of yoga pants and a faded black t-shirt Emma had left behind. It still smelled like her. Her face was bare, not a trace of makeup and her hair un-styled and slightly curled and totally uncharacteristic of her to not be mindful of her appearance. She didn't care. Not today. Regina only frowned as Kathryn sat next to her and after prying the mug of cider out of her hands and placing it on the coffee table, she wrapped her arms around Regina tightly.

"How are you holding up?"

"Not that well, Kathryn."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No, I don't think so. I just—I didn't want to be alone right now," Regina whispered, her voice sounding so quiet, so distant. "She wouldn't stay."

"You knew she wouldn't."

"I begged her to stay and she wouldn't stay, Kathryn."

Kathryn frowned as she moved to cup Regina's face in her hands, a pitiful look on her face as she let her go. "You should've asked her to marry you," Kathryn said softly. "I know you said it's too soon, but maybe she would've stayed if you asked her?"

"No," she frowned deeper, shaking her head. "It's far too soon for that."

Kathryn's deep frown mirrored her own and she watched as her best friend rose from the sofa next to her and walked over to the liquor cabinet. "I know it's far too early, but I believe you do need something stronger than hot apple cider to drink right now, dear. Shall I open the bottle of Scotch you've been saving all these years?"

"Kathryn…"

"I feel terribly overdressed," she said, ignoring Regina as she broke the seal on the twenty year bottle of Scotch without a second thought. Regina laughed shortly, watching Kathryn as she looked down at her white, summer dress and shiny red heels. "If we are going to sit and drink in the middle of the day and wallow in your sadness, I'm going to need to change into some serious comfort clothes."

Kathryn was like a whirlwind and it made Regina laugh as she watched her quickly pour them each a small glass of Scotch before she disappeared upstairs. Regina's eyes went wide as she jumped off the couch and ran up the stairs after her.

"Kathryn, wait!" She called out just as Kathryn was about to walk into the master bedroom. She was running up the stairs in a rush of panic, her room a complete disaster area from the day before. Not to mention she was more than positive the strap-on was exactly where she had tossed it on the edge of the bed after she'd removed it from Emma.

The fit of giggles that Kathryn erupted into as she walked into the master bedroom had Regina's face burning a deep shade of red. She rushed into the bedroom and quickly threw the sheets over the strap-on, hoping on every star she'd ever made a wish upon that Kathryn hadn't laid her eyes on the contraption yet. No such luck.

"Wow, you seriously did spend the entire day in bed having sex with her yesterday, didn't you?" Kathryn chuckled as her eyes lingered over the bed, the sheets more than just dishevelled and evidence of an entire day of lovemaking. "Let me tell you one thing, dear, just be happy it is me that saw your room in this state and not your mother. She would surely have a heart attack seeing it in this state."

"Kathryn…"

"So, where do you hide the whips and chains, Regina?" Kathryn's tone was teasing and Regina's whole body was flaring in embarrassment. "In your closet or in one of your guest rooms? Perhaps a secret room in the basement?"

"Kathryn!"

"Oh, I'm just teasing!" Kathryn said as she wrapped her arms around Regina. "I know you are far too vanilla for things like that, well, maybe not _too_ vanilla anymore."

"Kathryn, I swear I could kill you right now!"

"Oh you know that I love you too, Regina."

"You're impossible," Regina said as she pushed Kathryn away from her, but she laughed as she shook her head in disbelief. "You know where I keep my things. Now hurry up and change and _don't_ start snooping!"

Regina walked into her en suite, her face still burning. She groaned loudly as she shut the door and placed her forehead against the smooth wood. She definitely could use a very strong drink or ten right now, not just to dull the ache in her heart, but to forget about the very embarrassing moment she had just had with her best friend.

"Regina?" Kathryn asked as she knocked lightly on the en suite door. "Are you going to come out of there?"

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"No, you're not."

Regina felt the tears burning in her eyes and she couldn't stop them from falling as she pushed herself away from the door and tentatively opened it. She blinked through the burning tears, laughing at the sight of Kathryn in a pair of dark grey yoga pants and a simple matching t-shirt. As Kathryn looked at her, she frowned and wrapped her arms tightly around her, encouraging Regina just to let it out as she rubbed smooth circles over her back.

Regina had never broken down like this in front of Kathryn, not in a long time, not since she had broken up with Emma eleven years ago and when the reality of it had set in, she had spent days crying in bed, most of it spent with Kathryn there to be there for her during the worst heartbreak of her life. It didn't hurt as bad now as it did then, but she still felt broken. Lost. Alone.

"Why does it hurt so much?"

"Shh, it's okay…"

"Why does it feel like I just let her get away from me?"

"Regina, she left _town_, she didn't leave _you_," Kathryn whispered, a gentle reminder that didn't stop her from clutching tightly on to Kathryn, the tears flowing just as freely as they had as she'd watched Emma drive away from her hours ago. "Come on, let's go drown in our sorrows. How long has it been since we've had a perfectly good excuse to day drink?"

"What sorrows do you have to drown away?"

"Watching you, my best friend, suffer terribly and I can't do a thing about it."

"Whatever would I do without you?" Regina asked, wiping away her tears as Kathryn linked an arm in hers and led her out of the bedroom. "Thank you, you know, for coming over even though I'm a complete mess right now. I honestly don't know what I would do without you right now."

"Well, you'll never have to find out," Kathryn smiled. "Do you have any ice cream? Because if there's nothing better than copious amounts of alcohol to soothe the ache and the pain, it's ice cream."

"I don't have any ice cream but I do have some apple pie."

"That'll do. And you're wrong, Regina, I do have sorrows of my own. My dear brother is marrying that school-teacher, Mary Margaret only after months of dating. Can you _believe_ that? He said it's true love! I've met her once, Regina, _once_ and you would not believe how plain this woman is. It's absurd!"

"If David is happy, you should be too, Kathryn."

"But they've only been seeing each other for a few months and they're planning to wed a few weeks from now!"

"Kathryn…"

"Sorry, I'm sorry, I know you're going through your own thing right now," Kathryn muttered and she perked up as they walked down the stairs and into the study together, still arm in arm. "David asked Ruby for her and Emma's address in New York a few weeks ago. They've been invited to the wedding."

Regina smiled despite herself and she knew that no matter how much it hurt in that moment that Emma had left, that she couldn't convince her to stay, she knew the pain would subside and that she'd see her again, hopefully that very next weekend. Just thinking of seeing her again brought another smile to her face.

Yes, everything would be okay after today. She was sure of it.

* * *

The apartment felt cold despite the stale, warm air. Emma dropped her bags to the floor as she flipped on the light, moving out of the way quickly as Henry came in behind her carrying his own things.

"Go open the windows in the bedroom, okay, kid?" Emma asked as she finished sending the text to Regina that she'd made it back to New York safe and sound. Henry nodded, dropping his things to the floor and rushing to his bedroom first before running into Emma's next to his. "Home sweet home."

Emma swallowed the lump in her throat as she made her way around the small apartment, opening each window as wide as they would open to let the gentle breeze and fresh air in. She walked back over to the door and picked up the pile of mail that was stacked neatly on the table near the door and smiled, making a mental note to thank Granny for watering her plants and keeping her mail from piling up in front of the door all summer.

"I'm going to go help Ruby bring our stuff in!" Henry yelled as he ran out of the door quickly before Emma could tell him to move his bags into his room first.

She walked into the kitchen and flicked through each piece of mail, separating the bills that had accumulated over the last two months into different piles along the kitchen counter. Amongst the pile of mail, there was a silver envelope with a Storybrooke address and she ripped it open to find a wedding invitation inside.

_Ms. Swan and guest, you are cordially invited to the wedding of Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan to share in their happiness as they are united in marriage, Saturday the twenty-first of September at four o'clock in the afternoon at Storybrooke United Church._

Emma blinked in confusion. She hadn't even known David was seeing anyone, then again any time they had spent time with David over the summer, they never talked about anything too personal, David too focused on talking about the horses at the stable and the sheep farm he owned and the video games and comic books he loved with Henry. With a shake of her head, she placed the invitation on the fridge with a magnet and carried the bags to her room and to Henry's as he and Ruby started bringing up the boxes of things they'd brought along for the summer.

"Did you know that David is getting married?" Emma asked Ruby as she came into the apartment and placed a box on the kitchen table.

"Yeah, he uh, he's been seeing this elementary teacher for a couple of months and he proposed like a month ago."

"How come this is the first I'm hearing about this?"

"Because whenever the Nolan's had been at Regina's for dinner, you and Regina seem to be off in your own little world all the time. He's only mentioned Mary Margaret a dozen times and the wedding as well. None of us have met her, she's been doing some counsellor job at a youth camp all summer."

"Are you going?"

"David said he'd formally sent us both an invitation last week, so yes, I am going, Em, or have you already forgotten how close David and I have become as friends already?"

Emma felt guilty because it was true, she had been so absorbed with Regina all summer that she had been completely oblivious to the fact that David and Ruby were friends and everything else she apparently had missed because whenever she had been around Regina, the only thing she saw and heard was her. Mostly.

"Can I come to the wedding too, Mom?" Henry asked as he popped into the kitchen with a bright, beaming smile on his face. "Please?"

"I guess so, kid."

"Come on, let's get the rest of our stuff unloaded and order a pizza," Ruby said as she led Henry out the door. "Are you coming, Em?"

"Yeah, yeah," she sighed with a nod. "I'm coming."

The world felt heavy to Emma as they unloaded both cars and unpacked their things, Emma deciding to wait until the next day to do her and Henry's laundry. Granny arrived just as the pizza did and they piled into the living room, Henry excitedly telling Granny all about his summer in Storybrooke and the adventures they had at the cottage and in the woods around it. Emma hardly ate a slice of pizza, her fingers hitting the home button on her phone every once in a while in hopes that Regina had text her back.

After Henry passed out on the couch from eating too much pizza and drinking too much Coke, the travel of the day exhausting him, Ruby headed down the street to buy a few six packs of beer while Granny helped Emma put away some of the kitchen utensils and dishes she'd brought along with them.

"So, Ruby tells me things worked out for you and your lady after all, hmm?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded as she unwrapped the paper from the glasses. "It did."

"You're not happy though, are you," Granny stated and she removed her glasses and let them hang from the silver chain around her neck. "Why?"

Emma swallowed that heavy, thick lump that hadn't seemed to go away since she walked through her apartment door. She could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes and there was no way she was going to break down in front of Granny Lucas.

"You wanted to stay there with her, didn't you?"

"If I say yes, does that make me a selfish person, Granny?"

"Not at all, Emma," she said gently and she pulled Emma in for a hug. "You could always go back. For good. Make a life there for you and Henry and your lady."

"I can't."

"Why the hell not?"

Emma laughed wetly as a few tears slid down her cheeks, tears she quickly wiped away as she turned to busy herself with unwrapping the rest of the glasses she hadn't broke earlier when she'd been packing them up.

"I can't. I'm not ready for that yet."

Granny sighed as she patted her gently on the back and took the half unwrapped glass from Emma's hands. "When you are ready for that, you have my full support, Emma. It's a big step to take. It's not like it's just in another part of the city, its in a different town in a different state, hundreds of miles from the only place you've ever called home."

"It doesn't feel like home anymore here."

"No, I suppose it wouldn't now, would it? Home is where the heart is and you left your heart with her in Storybrooke. I know it's more than Regina, isn't it? I remember how charming that town can be and the people that live there become like an extension of your family. There's really no other place like it."

"Do you miss it?" Emma asked and Granny nodded. "Why didn't you ever go back?"

"I came here and stayed here for Ruby, because that's what she wanted when her mother died. Never gave it a second thought after you came into our lives and became a part of our family. This was our home and I just assumed that it always would be. You and Ruby were always happy here, but like you, I left my heart behind in Storybrooke many, many years ago, not with someone, but with the town itself and it's people."

"There's nothing stopping you from going back now."

"Yes, there is. My family is here. I go where my family goes. We stick together. No matter what. Never forget that," Granny smiled and she ushered Emma towards the living room as Ruby breezed through the door. "You two go relax and have a few drinks, I'll finish up in here for you."

"Thank you."

Emma joined Ruby on the couch, taking her offered bottle of beer as she sat down. She picked up her phone off the coffee table and frowned when she found that Regina still hadn't text her back and it'd been hours already. It made the driving ache in her heart hurt a little more and she downed half the bottle in one go, her hand shaking as Ruby placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Em?"

"No, not really."

"Looked like you and Granny were having a pretty intense conversation."

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Have you heard from her yet?"

"No."

"I'm sure she just got busy, Em," Ruby smiled warmly and she tilted her bottle of beer towards Emma's and clinked the necks together. "Here's to one helluva summer, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"You should he _happy_, Emma! You got her back and what you guys have now is so much different than what you had before. It's better."

"If it's supposed to be better, then I…" Emma trailed off, her heart clenching in her chest. She didn't want to say it because she wasn't _ready_, but she wanted to stay there with Regina, she wanted to stay there and make a life there with her, but she just wasn't ready for that yet. "You know what, Rubes? You're right."

"I know," she chuckled and Emma lifted her foot onto the couch and jabbed Ruby in the thigh with her toes. "Hey!"

"I'm acting like a spoiled little child who didn't get her way right now, aren't I?" Emma mused and Ruby gave her an obvious look. "I can make this work with Regina, can't I? We can make this work."

"Yes you can, Em. So, there's a few hundred miles between you two right now. It won't be forever."

"No, it won't be forever," Emma smiled for the first time since early that morning, a real honest to good smile that lifted her spirits and filled her heart.

"Plus, you know, you two can FaceTime together when you aren't actually together. Just um, make sure your door is locked when you do that or you'll scar Henry for life!"

"Ruby!" Emma laughed as she kicked her again, a little harder this time. "Oh my god, you are totally not suggesting that we have visual phone sex!"

"It's hot," Ruby chuckled throatily.

"Girls," Granny's warning tone came from the kitchen and they both looked back at her with wide eyes. Her expression when from hard to soft and she was laughing as she wiped her hands on the apron she always seemed to be wearing. "You've got it lucky with your fancy technology. In my day we just had telephones and letters and polaroid pictures. You don't have to talk out what you're doing, you can just show each other."

"Granny!"

"Oh my god," Emma laughed as she buried her face into the back of the couch as Ruby stared at her grandmother, her face as red as her favourite colour, neither of them able to get over the shock of the lewd look on Granny's face. "I think—I think I'm going to call her right now."

"For phone sex?! While we're _here_?" Ruby gasped and Emma flipped her the finger as she grabbed her phone and quickly scrolled through her contacts. "You want me to go?"

"No, I just want to call her and talk to her for a little while. I promise you there will be no phone sex happening tonight!"

"Until later!" Granny called out from the kitchen and Emma shook her head, forcing her smile into a frown to keep the laughter from bursting out of her.

She called Regina, smiling as Ruby just stared at her, a perfectly groomed eyebrow raised as Emma relaxed back on the couch with her phone to her ear as the line began to ring. She kicked Ruby again and mouthed 'stop' when Ruby started puckering her lips and wiggling her eyebrows at her and Emma's heard was racing as the call was picked up and she heard the smooth, sultry voice of the woman she loved more than anything.

"Hey," Emma smiled as she leaned into her phone and she could just hear the smile she knew Regina had on her face at that very moment too. "I miss you."

"I miss you too," Regina said quietly and she could hear giggles in the background and she knew without a doubt that Kathryn was there with her. "How was the drive home?"

"Long," Emma sighed. "So, what have you been doing all day?"

As she listened to Regina talk, she sank further into the couch and everything faded out from around her, even Ruby's giggles that mirrored that of Regina's own best friends' same giggles she could hear in the background. The heaviness of the day all but disappeared in the span of a few minutes.

Just hearing Regina's voice made the miles between them disappear and made her forget about all the miles they would have to go just to see each other again.


	22. Chapter 22

The week after the long weekend was always a busy week and Friday came with a lot of paperwork to be done, budgets to be worked out, and yet Regina couldn't focus on the stack of papers in front of her. Instead she had the ring she'd bought for Emma eleven years ago between her fingers, the red diamond glistening under the bright lights in her office, the platinum band cool between her fingertips. The ring itself was simple, the band twisting into an infinity symbol to where the diamond itself was set. Simple yet gorgeous and when Regina had first seen it many years ago, she knew it was the one she wanted to give to Emma when she asked her to marry her.

And here she was, eleven years later, with the very same ring and thinking those very same thoughts as she had before, only it was different now. So much different. Their relationship had become serious again rather quickly, and despite knowing that she wanted to marry Emma one day, it was simply that. _One day_.

Regina had spent the last four days trying hard not to dwell on the fact that Emma wasn't there in Storybrooke anymore. She wasn't just a short drive away. She couldn't see her whenever she could, and those lunches that Emma had brought her a few times a week weren't going to be happening anytime soon. She _still_ couldn't look at the stacks of paperwork on her desk without remembering not just the first time but every time that Emma had taken her on her desk, sweeping it clear, papers fluttering to the floor, forgotten about for the time being.

If she was anyone else, even the woman she'd been in the years without Emma, she would've blushed at the amount of sex they'd had throughout the past two months, sex that had definitely not been constricted just to the bedroom. From her office, to her en suite, to the picnic in the meadow, the back seat of Emma's yellow Bug—once and never again—yet the kitchen had been her second favourite place aside from the bedroom.

The first time is one she'd been thinking about a lot and it'd happened shortly after the first time Emma brought her lunch in her office. It was the very same day that her mother just happened moved out of her house and back into her own. Regina invited Emma over for dinner, wanting to take full advantage of her freedom in her own home without her mother hovering around. And yet, it hadn't been her who had taken full advantage that night…

* * *

Regina smiled as she heard Emma enter the kitchen and she smiled again when she turned to look at Emma as she brought in the last of the dishes. She had the sleeves of her white blouse rolled up, the sink slowly filling with warm water and dish soap.

"You're like the only person in existence that live in a mansion and doesn't even own a dishwasher."

"Am I?" Regina chuckled as she turned off the water and began to fill the sink with the dishes they'd used for dinner. "I had one in New York City, but since returning home to Storybrooke, I've learned that doing the dishes is a rather therapeutic chore."

"Seriously?" Emma chuckled as she bumped her hip into Regina's and they both exchanged a smile. "Do you think you can come over to the cottage tomorrow? There's a sink full of dishes waiting to be washed."

"I know," Regina replied, trying not to show the fact that every time she'd been over to the cottage there always seemed to be a sink full of dishes waiting to be washed. She'd been tempted to do them herself many times, but she never did. The cottage wasn't her home and she didn't do anyone else's dirty dishes but her own. "There is a fresh towel in that drawer over there," Regina said as she reached for the cloth. Emma gave her an incredulous look but opened the drawer and took out a tea towel. "I'll wash and you can dry. Just stack the dishes to the side and I'll put them away when I'm done."

Emma chewed on her bottom lip, a habit Regina noticed that hadn't been there the first time they were together. The minutes ticked by slowly as she washed and rinsed and handed the dish or glass to Emma to dry.

Dinner had been a pleasant one, one they'd managed to get through without forgetting the food completely and devouring each other instead. It had been a few days since they'd seen each other and it'd been the longest stretch of days since they started seeing each other again. Regina could feel the heat rising through her body as she thought of what had transpired in her office, and coincidentally the last time she and Emma had seen each other. The lunch Emma had brought her had been forgotten and she couldn't quite look at her desk the same way anymore, nor could she look at the small stack of paperwork that had been crumpled when Emma cleared off everything with one swipe of her arm.

As she dried her hands on the tea towel, Emma's hands went to her hips and she smiled as she felt Emma's lips kiss over the back of her neck lightly. She closed her eyes as Emma's hands deftly unbuttoned her slacks before moving to unbutton her blouse. Her mouth fell open, about to protest about doing this in the kitchen, but she knew that it would fall upon deaf ears and that Emma would take her in there no matter what she said.

Regina allowed Emma to slip her blouse off, sighing into Emma's soft touch as her lips continued to kiss over her neck, moving to her now bare shoulders and lightly tonguing the strap of her black lacy bra. She moved to feel Emma more fully against her and she moaned as she felt Emma's hips surge forward, connecting to her behind as her hands reached up to cup her breasts, her touch no longer light but firm. Her hands didn't linger and Regina knew from the way the blonde's lips were kissing over her shoulder, she was going to take exactly what she wanted and it would be quick, it would be hard, and just the thought of it had Regina's legs trembling.

Emma's hands moved down her stomach, the descent surprisingly slow. Regina gasped as Emma gripped her hips and pressed her body flush against her back. Emma's fingers grasped as her pants, but Regina couldn't take it any longer without kissing her. She spun around and captured Emma's lips with her own, moaning as Emma's arms slipped around her and she felt herself moving and suddenly she was spun around and Emma was lifting her up on to the island counter top.

"Emma, what—"

"Shh," Emma whispered, grinning salaciously as she placed one palm on the counter behind her and the other traveled over the expanse of her behind, moving to grasp her pliable flesh as she slipped her fingers through blonde hair. "Let me love you."

"Here?"

Emma chuckled throatily as she moved her hand between Regina's legs and cupped her over her pants. "Here."

Regina playfully rolled her eyes because Emma damn well knew what she meant and was just being cheeky. It was a part of her that she loved, just like all the rest of the reasons why she loved the gorgeous woman who was standing between her legs, her eyes clouded with lust as she licked over her lips.

Emma moved to grasp as her hip, pulling her a little closed to the edge as she moved forward, her stomach grinding into Regina's centre, eliciting a moan as a swell of arousal flooded through her body. She grasped on to Emma's head with her left hand, her right moving to the counter to balance herself and she pulled Emma in for a thoroughly passionate kiss before she felt Emma start to move down her body, her lips kissing over heated flesh as she made a gradual descent.

Regina's breath hitched in her chest as Emma trailed her tongue down between her breasts and used her teeth to tug at her bra but made no attempt to remove it. She continued, her breathing as ragged as Regina's was becoming, kissing over her abdomen and nipped at the skin just below her navel. Emma moved her legs until they were draped over her shoulders and another wave of arousal rolled through her and she could feel her clit starting to throb, making the fact that Emma was moving slowly and it was absolutely pure torture.

Leaning back as Emma's hands grabbed her pants and matching black panties, she pulled the offending garments down her legs, ducking her head under them as she pulled them past Regina's knees. The counter was cool and she groaned as Emma pulled her a little closer to the edge. A hand fell away from Emma's head and landed on the counter behind her, the other going to the top of Emma's head and pushing her down right where she needed her to be.

Emma held her legs apart, hooking her arms under her thighs as she kissed over Regina's pussy, her tongue slipping out to tease her, to taste her, but never fully licking her yet. Her breathy moans filled the kitchen and she was already so close it wouldn't take much for her to come undone, even with the way Emma was teasing her.

"Emma," Regina cried out as she watched the blonde bury herself between her legs, her tongue and lips and teeth feeling like they were everywhere all at once.

Emma moaned, the vibrations filling her whole as her tongue slipped inside of her, drinking her in as she struggled to stay on the counter, her hips twitching as Emma held on to her firmly.

"Ah," Regina gasped as Emma's agile tongue moved to circle over her clit, hard and fast and then she was coming, the room spinning as she arched her back and threw her head back, moaning out as her orgasm erupted through her body. "Emma!"

She didn't let up and Regina was panting hard as she moved her hand away from Emma's head and placed it behind her. She leaned back a little further on the countertop and looked down at Emma, watching as she licked her fully once more before her lips began to kiss up her abdomen, over her breasts, up her neck and finally meeting her lips in a slow, lazy kiss as her hands fell on Regina's hips.

"I could do that all night," Emma moaned quietly against her lips and Regina gasped as she felt the button of Emma's jeans press against her wet, throbbing clit.

"I could let you."

"Yeah?" Emma's lips curled into an adorable smile as they lost themselves in the moment they had fallen into because Emma just couldn't wait until after they'd had dessert to have exactly what she wanted.

Regina had a feeling that she _was_ dessert and that the warm apple pie she'd made earlier would go to waste.

"Yeah."

And Regina knew she'd get exactly what she wanted too, even if she was little less brash about taking it.

* * *

It was just before five when she grabbed her things off her desk and said goodnight to her newest temporary secretary, a blonde-haired boy fresh out of high school and a little less useless as the girl before him. He cleared his throat as he stood up from behind his desk as Regina swiftly walked down the hallway towards the stairwell door.

"H-have a good weekend, Madam Major," he stammered, smiling as she nodded his way. "Is there anything else?"

"No, Sean, I'll see you first thing Monday morning. You enjoy your weekend."

"I-it's Shane, ma'am."

"Shane, I'm terribly sorry," Regina frowned. "Oh, I nearly forgot, there is just one thing I'll need you to do before you leave. I'll be away for the entire weekend and I'll need you to turn off the machine that forwards the urgent calls to my personal phone. Have those calls directed to the Deputy Mayor until nine o'clock Monday morning, please."

"Yes, of course."

Regina smiled as she practically skipped down the stairs and out to her car where she already had a bag packed for the weekend. As she climbed in her car, her cell started to ring and she hastily fished it out of her purse, smiling when she saw Emma's name on the screen.

"Hello, darling," Regina purred. "I just got into the car."

"Hey," Emma replied and she sounded like she was out of breath. "I'm running a little late. I had to respond to a domestic disturbance call and my shift didn't end at three. I'm just heading back to the station now to fill out some paperwork and then I promise you I'll be in Boston as fast as I can."

Regina felt a slight pang of disappointment, but quickly pushed that feeling away as she smiled and checked her makeup in the review mirror. "It's fine, we'll still arrive at the hotel around the same time, will we not?"

"I might be a little bit late."

"Oh."

"I tried to pass off the call to Killian, but apparently I owed him a favour from like six months ago. A favour I don't remember owing. I swear to god I hate that man. He's slippery like a snake, no—like a pirate or something," Emma muttered and Regina couldn't help but laugh. "Hey, Gina? You aren't upset, are you? I mean, I'm going to be like an hour later than we planned and I don't want to ruin our weekend together."

"Gina?"

Emma was silent and Regina's heart fluttered at the simple little nickname. No one had ever called her anything else other than Regina and no one dared to. Yet, because it was Emma, she didn't mind at all.

"Regina, sorry."

"Don't apologize, my love, I like it."

"You do? It kind of just slipped out. I don't even know where it came from!"

"So, would you rather I call you Em instead of 'darling' or my 'love'?"

"I love it when you call me those names," Emma sighed happily, no longer sounding nearly out of breath as before and Regina figured she was sitting behind her desk at the station she worked out of. "I really do."

"Doesn't it make me seem like I am terribly old fashioned?"

"You are old fashioned, Gina, in a _good_ way. You were just raised like that and I wouldn't want you to change a single thing about you. I don't know, I find it endearing the way you speak most of the time."

"Endearing?"

"Sexy?" Emma tried and Regina couldn't stop smiling. "Yes. Incredibly sexy, because you are my incredibly sexy girlfriend and I find everything about you so…fucking incredibly sexy," she purred over the phone and she muttered something under her breath Regina didn't quite catch.

"What was that, darling?"

"I said I should know better than to talk to you while I'm at work. Couple of the guys are just staring at me," she said and she paused as she stifled a laugh. "Yeah, that's right boys, I'm talking to my _incredibly sexy girlfriend_, so why don't you mind your own business for a change?" She said, her voice slightly muffled and Regina couldn't help but laugh heartily. "God, I can't wait to see you."

"I cannot wait to see you either, Em," Regina said and she bit her lip, trying it on for size and she loved the laughter that sounded from Emma when she said it. "I think I'll stick to Emma, darling, or my love."

"Yeah, I think you better because you calling me Em sounded…weird."

"It did, yes." Regina smiled, her heart warming and her head spinning in the most delightful way. She put her phone on speaker as she started her car, wanting to get on the road as soon as possible and get to Boston to make it in time for their late check in at the Onyx hotel. "Emma, shall I let you go?" Regina asked, knowing she was still on the line because she could hear her breathing and papers shuffling. "I'm just about to leave Storybrooke and head for the interstate."

"No, no it's okay, I can work and talk at the same time. I shouldn't be long filling out this paper work."

"Was anyone arrested?"

Emma laughed bitterly. "Nah, no arrests, but we still gotta file paper work. The only downside of the job."

"Did you miss it while you were here?"

"Not the stress of it," she replied easily. "Didn't realize how out of shape I was until I had to chase down this mugger this morning."

"Did you catch this mugger or did the mugger get away?"

"Barely caught his ass. Tackled him after chasing him for four blocks," Emma replied hastily. "So uh, don't be alarmed or anything, but I'm kind of feeling that tackle right now. Got a strained back and I'm a little banged up because the stupid idiot fought back."

This was why Regina never talked about Emma's job as a deputy in the city. She knew the police force in a big city was drastically different than that in a small town such as Storybrooke. She chewed her lip as she took a left on the main road that led out of town and worried about Emma's safety doing the job she had. Emma never talked about it either and there were a few questionable scars on her body that Regina never asked about and Emma never mentioned how she got them.

"H-how banged up, exactly?"

"Bit of a black eye, cut up a little on my cheek, but it's not that bad. Nothing that won't go away in a few days. As for my back, I could definitely use a massage tonight."

Regina moaned quietly, biting her lip as she clenched her thighs together. Oh she could give Emma a massage later and then some, her mind already going to places that were going to make the four hour drive complete torture.

"Tell me you are almost done your paperwork and can get on the road as soon as possible, my love, because I don't think I can bear waiting any longer than I must to see you," Regina said, her voice husky and thick with desire and she swore she heard Emma try to stifle a moan. Regina panted slightly as a wave of arousal flooded through her body and settled directly between her legs. "Perhaps I shall let you get to finishing your work, my love. I will see you in Boston at the hotel."

"I'm heading out the door now. Just gotta head back to my place and take Henry over to Granny's, make sure he's got everything he needs. I should be on the road in no less than half an hour."

"Perfect."

"Regina?" Emma chuckled quietly, her voice filling Regina's otherwise quiet car. "I don't know about this whole Gina thing."

"If you are unsure, what else would you rather call me than my name, hmm? Perhaps one of those nicknames other couples use. Babe, perhaps?" Regina teased and god, she loved the sound of Emma's laugh. It just filled her whole.

It was only just the start of one very long conversation between the two, filled with laughter and teasing voices and alluring promises neither had no doubt would be fulfilled over the next two nights and two days in Boston. Even though they had talked every single day over the last week, mostly in the evenings when they were both home, they always talked about their day, Emma mostly avoiding talking too much about work and focusing more on her and Henry. It only made Regina miss them even more and it had definitely made the week drag on forever.

They would talk about everything and anything and nothing at all. Regina just loved listening to the sound of Emma's voice, the way her laugh filled her, the way her voice sounded so sensual when she was turned on and she knew that tone all too well. She also knew the effect of her own husky voice on Emma, for just the other night they had been up late, talking on the phone when Emma started breathing erratically as Regina's voice had become husky, from tiredness and the fact that they had spent nearly five hours talking at that point.

All she had to do was mention all the things she couldn't wait to do once they were together in Boston that weekend. Packed away in her suitcase was the silver bullet and the strap-on, as Emma had requested that she brought along with her. She could now easily laugh at the trepidation she had felt when she drove two towns over to buy both items, hidden behind big sunglasses and a floppy summer hat in case someone in a town she'd never been in happened to recognize her as the Mayor of Storybrooke.

When she had told Emma the story of that trip only just a few nights before, the laughter that came through the phone had Regina's fingers itching to touch herself, to relieve herself of the insatiable state of arousal Emma had put her in.

"Are you already there?" Emma asked when Regina finally came to a stop in the Onyx hotel parking lot and turned off the car. "Regina?"

"Yes, my love, I've just arrived," Regina said with a smile as she slipped out of her car and walked around to the trunk, juggling her keys, her phone and her purse in her hands as she opened it. "Where are you now?"

"Uh, forty minutes, give or take."

Regina groaned in disappointment. A week away from her had felt just as long as the eleven years they had been apart. It was far too easy for the guilt to settle in because it was she herself who had kept them apart. Had she only given Emma that chance to explain, had she only given herself the chance to get over what Kathryn had said…

"Regina?

"Sorry," she said in a rush as she fumbled to pull out her suitcase and dropped her keys to the ground. "I certainly cannot wait to see you. It feels as if…"

"If's been just as long," Emma finished for her with a heavy sigh. "I know."

Regina sighed as well as she bent to pick up her keys and dropped them into her purse with a grunt of frustration. "Room 1108."

"What?"

"When you arrive, tell the front desk you are expected in room 1108," Regina said and she pulled out her suitcase, pulling at the handle before closing the trunk and wheeling the small carry-on behind her as she approached the entrance. Regina clasped a hand over her mouth as she stopped in the middle of the parking lot suddenly. "Oh dear, that sounds like…"

"Like I'm a whore you paid to visit you during a bogus business trip?"

"Emma, you are so much more than that."

"I know," Emma chuckled. "Role play, Regina? You've never done that?"

"No."

"Do…do you want to?"

"No, because I love you far to much to think of you in such a way."

"What about if I asked you to?"

Regina flushed as she walked into the hotel, gripping her phone tight to her ear as she gave a curt nod to the doorman and headed straight for the front desk. Emma was silent on the phone, no doubt waiting for her answer, but she couldn't answer her in the busy hotel lobby and she definitely couldn't answer her as she approached the front desk.

As the woman behind the desk rolled through the standard yet formal greeting every guest had to endure, she smiled at Emma's soft giggles floating through her ear. In less than an hour, Emma would be there and for the umpteenth time, a wave of unprecedented pleasure rolled through Regina's body. She felt her cheeks flush as she pulled her phone from her ear and pressed it to her chest.

"Pardon?" She said to the woman behind the desk who only flashed her a friendly, patient smile.

"What name is your reservation under, ma'am?"

"Swan-Mills."

Regina placed her phone to her ear again, another blush creeping over her cheeks as the woman behind the desk typed at the computer.

"Regina?" Emma asked quietly.

"Hmm?" She purred into the phone, unable to keep herself from smiling at the sound of Emma's voice again. "I'm checking in, hold on, darling."

"Mrs. Swan-Mills, I hope you enjoy your stay this weekend," the woman behind the desk said as she handed her the key card to the room. "If there is anything we can do for you during your stay here at the Onyx, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," Regina smiled, pocketing the key card before picking up her suitcase and quickly walking towards the elevators.

"Swan-Mills? _Mrs. Swan-Mills?_" Emma asked, her voice strained. "Regina?"

Regina jabbed the elevator button with her finger, swallowing thickly as Emma too grew silent on the line. She waited until she was in the elevator, alone before she cleared her throat, struggling to come up with a believable excuse as to why she had booked them until their names.

"I am just covering our tracks, dear," she said quietly and there was some truth to that statement.

She still hadn't told Emma that there were now rumours flying around Storybrooke over the past week that the Mayor had a lavish affair over the summer that had ended abruptly. She had heard them for herself nearly every morning she walked into the Diner to get her morning coffee. Hushed whispers from the people sitting at the table and counter, their eyes on her the entire time. Her mother, of course, had taken quite the interest in trying to find out just how true that was and there was no telling how far or for how long her mother would be obsessed with finding out the truth behind the rumours.

"I'll explain everything when you get here," she said after a few, long moments of silence between them. "Emma?"

"I'm still here," Emma replied, her voice almost a whisper. "I should go, Regina. My battery is dying on me and I forgot my car charger at home."

"Alright. I'll see you soon. I love you."

Regina frowned as the line went silent and she couldn't even hear the sound of the yellow Bug driving on the interstate as she had through their entire phone call. Sighing heavily, she slipped her phone into her pocket as the elevator reached the eleventh floor. She was still frowning as she reached the room she'd book and slid the key card into the door, waiting for the beep before pushing the door open.

It wasn't like the suite they had spent a week at years ago, it was just a simple room and not nearly as expensive. But it was just as lavish as the suite and she placed her suitcase on the bed and unzipped it quickly, her frustration of Emma hanging up on her suddenly making her angry and upset.

Leaving her suitcase open on the bed, she slipped off her coat and hung it in the small closet by the door and spotted the chilled bottle of wine in the champagne bucket that she had requested by the small table near the window. Two crystal wine glasses sat on top of the table along with a corkscrew to remove the cork from the bottle. She didn't hesitate to open the bottle, pouring herself a much needed glass of the expensive chardonnay and she sipped it, humming at the taste of it. She walked back over to her suitcase and plucked out a few items before zipping it shut and placing it on the floor near the dresser.

She had, in her mind during the phone call with Emma after learning she would be arriving later, planned on changing into the lingerie she had brought with her, ones that she had bought specifically for this weekend. She changed after she'd finished most of her glass of wine and she walked into the bathroom, examining herself in the mirror, a please smile curling over her lips.

The red lace clung to her body like a second skin, the thong tight and barely there, the push-up bra made her breasts look fuller and the valley of her cleavage was pressed tightly together. She spent some time freshening up her makeup and donned one of the two robes that hung on the back of the bathroom door.

She tidied up quickly, smiling when she heard her phone chime from where she'd left it in her jacket. She plucked it out quickly, her heart starting to race as she swiped across the screen.

**_I'm here. I'll be up in a few minutes, babe._**

Regina grinned and she moved to flick off the lights, the candles already lit as she debated whether to lay back on the bed and wait for Emma or to greet her at the door the moment she walked in. She ended up nervously and anxiously waiting for Emma to arrive to their room, fidgeting with the belt on the silky robe as she tried not to count the seconds that ticked by slowly.

Regina let out a sigh of relief when she heard the beep of the door as it was unlocked and she licked over her lips, her heart racing, her breath already coming out quickly as the door opened. Her breath hitched in her chest as Emma strolled in, throwing down her duffel bag to the floor as the door slid shut.

Emma looked both happy to see her and slightly confused, yet before Regina could say a word, Emma's lips were on her own, kissing her deeply as their arms wrapped around each other tightly. Kissing Emma, holding her tight, Regina never wanted to let her go and a disappointed sigh fell past Regina's lips when Emma ended the kiss far too soon.

"Hey," she smiled as she stared at Regina and even in the dim candlelight, she could see the intensity burning in Emma's green eyes. "Uh, the strangest thing just happened when I was at the front desk."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, the lady said something like 'Mrs. Swan-Mills, your wife is already waiting in your room for you. Do enjoy your stay here at the Onyx'," Emma recited what she had heard and Regina bit her bottom lip, trying to gauge Emma's reaction, but she was unreadable, her left eye discoloured slightly and a few small cuts under the same eye taped up with small pieces surgical tape. "I don't think I moved for like two whole minutes and she just stared at me like I'd grown a second head."

"I see," Regina nodded, dropping her arms from around Emma and taking a step back to put some space between them. "Perhaps next time I'll book us under a different name completely, although that will be difficult to do using my credit card. Unless I use cash and I—"

"Regina," Emma laughed, stopping her from continuing. "I was a bit shocked at first, but for whatever reason you have booked us under that name for, I don't care. I like it."

"I thought you were a bit miffed when you simply just hung up on me earlier."

"My stupid phone dropped the call. Shit," Emma groaned and she placed her hands on Regina's hips as she pulled her close to her again. "You know, this is so not how I saw this going, babe."

"And how exactly did you see this going?"

"With a hell of a lot less talking, that's for sure," Emma chuckled and she looked down between them as she moved both of her hands to gently tug on the belt of the robe.

Regina shook her head as she gently shooed Emma's hands away and pointed to the bed for her to sit. She waited, watching Emma move slowly and stiffly as she walked to the bed and sat down, a small teasing smile dancing over her lips as she looked up at Regina. She played with the belt of the silk robe and pulled it open, watching Emma's eyes as they drank her in slowly. Emma bit her bottom lip as the robe slid open, revealing the lingerie underneath to appreciative and hungry eyes.

She let the robe slip down to the floor as she moved to straddle Emma's legs as her hands threaded through Emma's golden hair. She cupped the back of her neck, dipping down to capture Emma's lips with her own, moaning as she felt warm hands smooth over her thighs, around her hips and to her back, her fingertips dancing lightly over the smooth expanse of Regina's bare back.

"I missed you," Emma murmured against her lips. "I missed you so much, Regina."

"I missed you too."

"You look incredibly sexy," Emma whispered, her lips teasing over Regina's, not quite kissing her. "There's just one thing that I want…that I need…" Emma trailed off, her fingers moving around to Regina's front, teasing over the edge of her bra.

"Yes?"

"And that's for you to give me a massage," Emma finished, lips curling into a smirk as Regina playfully rolled her eyes at her. "You did promise me you'd give me one when I got here."

"I did," Regina said gently and she pointed to the bed. "I suggest you strip then, my love, because you have yet to experience the power I have with these hands of mine."

"Oh I already know just how powerful they are," Emma quipped as she tore off her white t-shirt and winked at Regina. "Your hands are…magical."

Regina raised an amused eyebrow, amusement turning into pure, unadulterated lust as Emma stripped the rest of her clothes and beckoned her towards her as she moved to lay down on the bed. A massage was what she promised and a massage was what Emma was going to get. That and a whole lot more.

She'd show her just how magical her hands _really_ were…


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Notes: As always you guys are wonderful with your kind words and love for this story! Thank you to those who are regular reviewers, I love reading your thoughts on the story but don't always know what to say to respond other than I'm glad you're enjoying it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. It's truly become a labour of love and I can safely say we're not even at the halfway point! I also have another story, All This Time (a two-parter with the first part posted yesterday) in progress at the moment, so maybe you guys can go give that a little read as well if you're interested? :) Until next time! Hope to get another update for you tomorrow or Sunday at the latest! Enjoy...**

* * *

Emma winced as she laid on the bed and turned her head to the side, watching Regina as she disappeared into the bathroom for a moment and came out with a small bottle in her hand. She had a dangerous smile dancing over her lips as she approached the bed and it wasn't until she was nudging at Emma's side that she realized she was trying to put a towel on the bed for her to lay on.

"What's that?" Emma asked as she slowly moved to lay on the towel. Regina licked over her lips and showed her the bottle. "Edible massage oil?" Emma chuckled with a soft shake of her head. "Where did you get that?"

"From my purse, dear," Regina replied simply as if it was just something she happened to carry around with her at all times. She watched with appreciation as Regina removed her red lace bra and tossed it to the side and made slow work of sliding her thong down her smooth, tanned legs. "What?"

"Nothing," Emma grinned, watching her as she moved to kneel on the edge of the bed beside her. "You're so fucking sexy, Regina."

"As are you," she grinned right back, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on Emma's lips before moving to straddle over the back of her thighs. "Where does it hurt, darling?"

"Lower back," Emma replied quietly and when she turned her head to face the other way, she caught sight of them both in the mirror that was by the dresser. "Fuck."

"Hmm?" Regina asked as she slowly poured a handful of the oil on to Emma's lower back, the smell of vanilla filling the air. She turned her head in the same direction that Emma was looking and she smiled at her in the reflection of the mirror.

Emma moaned as Regina smoothed her hands over her lower back, spreading the oil everywhere she could reach before moving her hands more purposely, kneading the tight muscles in her lower back and slowly loosening them up. Emma was loving every second of it, Regina's hands were magical and just being able to watch her in the mirror as her face contoured into concentration, and it was turning her on.

She had to struggle to keep her eyes open, she wanted to continue to watch Regina, naked as she massaged her sore muscles, her breasts swaying as she swept her hands up to her shoulders and back down again. With a knee on either side of her legs, she strained to see how close Regina was from touching her and in her current position, she couldn't thrust her ass upwards just to feel Regina against her.

Regina's hands were definitely working their magic as she felt the tight, sore muscles finally start to relax completely, the pain she'd felt earlier easing under Regina's strong hands sliding against her skin. She moaned as Regina moved up towards her shoulders again and she sat firmly down on her ass.

Emma moaned as she took in the sight of her gorgeous girlfriend straddling her ass and clearly enjoying it as she continued to massage over her shoulders. She was no longer focused on the feel of Regina's hands, but on the feel of the wetness between the brunette's legs as she rubbed against her as with every swift movement of her hands.

With every moan that spilled past her lips, Emma could feel just how wet it made Regina, how it would make her slide over her ass just a little harder. And the sight of her was driving her insane with lust. It was bad enough that she had just spent the last week without Regina and hours of phone calls were just not the same as being with the love of her life.

"How are you feeling?" Regina asked, her voice low and husky and it made Emma moan again. "Good, I gather?"

"Yes," she sighed out as she kept her eyes glued on the mirror. "Fuck."

She watched as Regina bit her bottom lip, her eyes meeting Emma's in the reflection of the mirror. Every roll of Regina's hips had both of them moaning, their eyes locked together in the reflection of the mirror as Regina's hands stilled on Emma's back, the massage suddenly forgotten about as Regina's cunt slipped over Emma's ass.

"Emma," Regina breathed out hotly as her hips jerked, her wetness spreading over the rise of Emma's taut ass as she rode against her harder. "Oh god, Emma, I-I can't…I—"

Emma reached back with one hand, gripping on to Regina's thigh to encourage her to keep going, the sight of her about to cum just from grinding into her ass was almost enough to send Emma over the edge too. She dug her nails into the flesh of Regina's thigh, watching and feeling her as she trembled against her.

"Regina, let go," Emma groaned as she subtly started to raise her ass up against Regina, her position and the fact that Regina was riding her so hard and fast was making it so impossible to move against her the way she wanted to.

Keeping her eyes on the mirror, Emma watched Regina as she came undone completely, the sight of her letting go was something she would never tire of. She donned a confident smirk as Regina panted and struggled to regain her composure. She could feel her cum against her skin, and _god_ she needed to feel more of that because a week without after nearly two months of barely being able to keep their hands off one another was just too much.

Emma watched as Regina leaned forward, her lips pressing against the back of her neck for a lingering moment before she leaned back and her hands were back to working their magic, sweeping along her back, kneading her sore muscles as she lifted herself off of Emma's ass, her hands moving lower and lower. Emma was more than enjoying this and not just for obvious reasons.

As Regina lifted off of her, she watched her carefully, drinking in the sight of her lover in the reflection of the mirror as she moved to kiss over her lower back, her lips trailing a fiery descent over the curve of her skin, a tongue dipping out to lick off her own secretions off of her and Emma moaned at the sight and sensation of Regina's tongue licking over her skin in the most delicious way.

Emma closed her eyes as Regina reached for the small bottle of vanilla scented oil and poured some on her hands before continuing to rub over her back, her fingers trailing over her spine, lower and lower. Emma opened her eyes and watched as Regina's own were focused on her fingers as they lingered down the crack of her ass lightly, teasing over her puckered hole before smoothing her palms over the rise and dips and down to her thighs.

Her heart was racing as Regina's hands worked over her glutes, her fingers teasing every time she neared Emma's center, fingers just barely touching her before continuing the massage. Emma shifted as she opened her legs a little more, biting down on her lower lip as Regina took the hint and slipped a hand between her thighs, her fingers slick with oil slipping past her folds to touch her fully.

"Regina, fuck, don't stop," Emma moaned, their eyes meeting in the reflection of the mirror again. "God…"

"Emma?" Regina whispered, her fingers not stopping as she used her other hand to spread her legs a little more. "I don't want to hurt you if your back is—"

"I feel much better now," Emma smiled, catching her gaze in the mirror again. "Your hands are truly magical."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she nodded and she moved to turn around on her back, whimpering at the loss of Regina's fingers dancing over tender, wet flesh and she pulled Regina down on top of her, both of them smiling just before their lips met in a hungry yet unhurried kiss.

"Does it hurt?" Regina whispered as she traced her fingers just under the cut under her left eye.

"Little bit," Emma shrugged. "I'm fine, Regina."

Emma closed her eyes as Regina placed a few light kisses along her cheek and over her bruised eye. She hadn't even thought about it until that moment, her mind on other things, good things like Regina's hands and the way they felt on her oiled skin. She smiled as Regina's lips met hers again and they both let out a soft sigh as they parted.

Emma's mind was racing now, thinking of the way she had felt when the receptionist had called her Mrs. Swan-Mills and referred to Regina as her wife, thinking of how long that four hour ride to Boston had felt and that this was the way things were for them now. She just wanted to go back to the way it'd been over the summer. She didn't want to meet Regina halfway, four hours and hundreds of miles later. She wanted to be able to see her every day, not count down the days throughout the week until she would see her on Friday night through Sunday afternoon.

It was going to be hard, Emma knew that, she knew that even before she had left Storybrooke a week ago. She would give anything just to be with this woman, she would give up her whole life in New York at the drop of a hat if Regina asked her to come back to Storybrooke with her. But that wasn't the way things were going to happen and it wasn't some kind of a fairytale where their happy ending came to them without either having to fight for it.

She would make the most of this weekend with Regina and she wouldn't tell her that she was working nights for the next two weeks and wasn't sure if she'd be able to see her until David and Mary Margaret's wedding in three weeks. She didn't even want to think about that yet, about the possibility that they'd go without seeing each other for the next two weekends because it already hurt.

"I love you," Emma whispered against Regina's lips, struggling to stay in the moment with her as their bodies moved together in a familiar rhythm. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Regina smiled at her, oblivious to the things that were going through Emma's mind at the moment.

* * *

They never left the room that weekend, the do not disturb card not once removed from the outside of their door unless they ordered room service. They didn't talk about leaving on Sunday, they didn't talk about work or about Henry. Emma had dreaded the moment she would tell Regina she wouldn't be able to meet her in Boston for the next two weeks because she knew it would break her heart.

But as their time together was quickly coming to an end, Emma knew she had no choice but to tell her now. She laced up her boots and watched as Regina stood by the mirror and carefully fixed her damp hair.

"Regina?" Emma said softly and waited for her to sit next to her on the edge of the bed before continuing. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Yes, Emma?"

"I don't think I'll be able to make it next weekend."

"Oh?" Regina looked disappointed and the tears that welled up in her eyes felt like Emma had just taken a punch to the gut. "Why not, darling?"

"Work."

"I see. I thought you don't work on the weekends?"

"Not usually, I got put on nights starting tomorrow. For two weeks and next weekend I'm pulling double shifts. Some of the guys complained how I've been gone for two months and they've been busting their asses rotating the night shift around and well, I got stuck with it. Kind of don't have a choice right now."

"I understand," Regina said, offering a small smile as she moved to straddle Emma's lap. She threaded her fingers through Emma's hair and sighed heavily. "I wish you would've told me on Friday."

Emma frowned and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and they just sat there like that, holding on to each other for the longest time. "This is going to be hard, isn't it?"

"Yes," Regina said sadly and she placed a soft kiss on Emma's forehead. "We'll weather the storm of being apart, darling."

"How?"

"We'll figure something out."

"Regina, I-I don't think we'll see each other until David's wedding."

Regina frowned as her tears welled up in her eyes again. Emma didn't want to see her cry because seeing her crying wrecked her and made her heart sink every time. If she started to cry, Emma knew she wouldn't be able to hold back the tears either. Their lips met shakily as they both let the tears fall and Emma held on to her tight, never wanting to let her go. But their time was almost over, their weekend was over and in minutes they were expected to check out and head their separate ways.

She really didn't want to let her go just yet, but as they broke away from their kiss, the phone by the bed rang and she let Regina slip off her lap to answer it while she stood up and grabbed her bag.

"Yes, we'll be right down. Thank you," Regina said quietly into the phone, wiping away her tears as she hung up. "We must go, Emma."

"I know."

"Come here, darling," Regina sighed as she wrapped her arms around her and kissed her once more. "It is only a couple of weeks."

"Only."

"We will see each other at the wedding," Regina smiled, leaning in to kiss her again.

"Regina, we won't even be able to be together at the wedding."

"Yes we can."

"What about—"

"My mother was not invited to the wedding and even if she had been, she would never allow herself to mingle with such common folk, as she would say. David and Snow are keeping the wedding rather low-key and anyone that is there, I can trust them fully."

"So I can dance with you for hours?" Emma asked with a smile and Regina nodded as they swayed a little in each other's arms. "And I can kiss you whenever I want?"

"Yes," Regina chuckled. "Of course you can."

"Okay."

"Come on, darling, we must go now or I'll be charged for another night."

Sighing heavily, Emma nodded and held on to her bag with one hand, the other slipping into Regina's hand, moving with her to grab her suitcase and they were out the door without another word.

The elevator ride down to the lobby was far too quick and after they checked out, they ended up in front of Regina's car together, the Bug parked just a few spots away. Emma let go of her hand just long enough for Regina to load her suitcase into the trunk and she dropped her bag to the ground and grabbed a hold of her, kissing her with everything that she had.

Emma wasn't ready to let her go yet and from the way that Regina clung to her, she wasn't ready either.

But it was after nine o'clock now and she should've already been on the road hours ago. They had decided to stay right until the late check out time they were given, using those last few hours to make love several times, in bed and in the shower before they'd reluctantly packed up their things and got dressed in silence.

"Emma," Regina whispered against her lips, both women ignoring the older couple walking down the parking lot near them making comments about their blatant display of affection. "We must say goodbye now," she said with hesitation in her voice. "I will call you when I am home."

"I—"

"I don't want to leave either, darling, but we must."

Frowning, Emma pulled her in for one last lingering kiss. "I love you."

"I love you," Regina echoed her words and Emma could see her gathering every bit of her strength and courage to let her go and slip into her car.

Emma bent to pick up her bag, holding on to it with both hands and clutched it to her chest as she watched Regina back out of the spot slowly. They shared one last lingering look before she drove away and Emma stood there, silently sobbing as she watched the taillights disappear out onto the street.

Inhaling deeply, she wiped at her tears and walked to her car. She yanked open the door and tossed her bag into the backseat, her whole body feeling as if it were on autopilot as she slipped the key into the ignition. Her phone rang and she quickly dug it out of her jacket pocket. Ruby.

"Em, where are you? Granny is freaking out because you aren't back yet."

"I'm still in Boston."

"What? I thought you said you'd be back before nine?"

"We…got a little caught up," Emma replied, chuckling dryly as she could just imagine the look on Ruby's face at that moment. "Can you do me a favour, Rubes? Can you take Henry home and stay there with him until I get back?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

"And you better believe that when you get back, you're going to tell me everything that happened this weekend."

"Ruby…"

"What? Don't tell me you two spent the whole weekend in bed, fucking each other's brains out."

"Ruby, I swear to god if Henry is right there and heard you say that, I will kill you."

"Relax, he's still at Granny's and I'm at home. But seriously, Em?"

"What?"

"Is that all you did all weekend with Regina was have hot, sweaty lesbian sex?"

Emma laughed as she shook her head. "I'll see you in a few hours, Ruby," she said before she hung up the phone. With a few shaky breaths, she backed out of the spot and drove out of the parking lot, her mind reeling back to Regina over and over again.

After she'd been on the road for an hour, her phone rang again and she smiled when she saw Regina's name flash across the screen. She put her on speakerphone just as she turned off the radio.

"Miss me already?" Emma asked and god, she loved the sound of Regina's laugh.

"Of course I did, dear."

"I miss you already too."

"I thought perhaps, since we talked for majority of our trip to Boston, that we could do the same on the trip home."

"I'd like that," Emma smiled. "So, how was your day, dear?"

Again, that laugh. It just filled her completely. "Well, I spent the day in bed with a gorgeous blonde who made me cum so many times I lost count after the first ten," Regina purred over the phone seductively. "But I shouldn't be telling you things like that, dear. I wouldn't want you to become incredibly jealous."

"Oh I am incredibly jealous," Emma chuckled. "But then again I just spent the entire day in bed too with the most incredible, amazing, sexy woman. _She_ made me cum so many times that I lost count after the first one."

They talked until Emma was in front of her building and Regina was already at home, getting ready for bed. After saying goodbye for a few minutes, Emma reluctantly was the first to end the call. She climbed out of the Bug and grabbed her bag out of the back seat before heading inside the building and up to her apartment where Ruby was waiting and Henry was fast asleep in his own bed.

She was spent, entirely spent from her weekend in Boston with Regina, but it didn't stop her from grabbing two cold beers out of the fridge and sitting next to Ruby on the couch. They both twisted off the caps and clinked the neck of each bottle together before taking a sip, Emma drawing out hers into a long pull before exhaling sharply.

"So, how was it?"

Emma smiled dopily and Ruby laughed, clamping a hand over her mouth when she realized how loud she was. After they both stopped laughing, Emma just sighed contently. "It was amazing, actually."

"Seriously, I'm actually kind of jealous of what you and Regina have together. It's just like, so perfect and you guys are so fucking cute together."

"Cute?"

"Sexy?" Ruby tried and they both giggled endlessly until Emma had to stop to catch her breath and to take another sip of her beer. "Did you seriously not leave the room the whole time you were there?"

"Ruby Lucas, I believe you are fishing for details!"

"Guilty. But what I am trying to figure out is how the hell you managed to have a weekend of marathon sex when you were pretty banged up when you left."

"Well, Regina's hands are magical."

"Emma!"

"She gave me a massage!" Emma countered, although the smirk on her face more than implied that it had been a lot more than just a massage. "Look, thanks for taking Henry off of Granny's hands tonight, Rubes. You know how much I appreciate it."

"Hey," Ruby smiled at her. "I've been there for you his whole life and nothing is going to make it any different than the way it's always been. Granted," Ruby paused as she jabbed a red-nailed finger into Emma's knee, "you have never gone off for an entire weekend to have hot, sweaty lesbian sex…continuously may I add, so I did it as a favour for the sake of your libido. Henry was asking a shit load of questions though, asking me what you two were doing all weekend and I told him you were sightseeing."

Emma couldn't hold the laughter in and she didn't try, although she did have to make sure she kept herself quiet enough not to wake Henry. "Well, next weekend is going to be a different story. I won't be off having hot, sweaty lesbian sex with my incredibly sexy girlfriend because I got to work."

"Ugh," Ruby rolled her eyes, the laughter between them cutting off abruptly. "Em, it's not always going to be this hard, you know that right?"

"I know, it just sucks right now."

"You two are coming off of a summer together of being able to see each other almost any time you could. Of course it's going to be hard right now. Em, can I ask you something?"

Emma nodded, despite not wanting to talk about Regina or their relationship at the moment. As hard as it was to leave her, talking about her brought on a host of other emotions, especially when it went from joking to serious in a matter of minutes.

"Would you ever…" Ruby trailed off, pausing to take in Emma's reaction before she asked the question itself. "Emma, you and I both know that what you and Regina have is so fucking real because if it wasn't, everything that happened this summer wouldn't have happened."

"What are you saying, Ruby?"

"She's it for you," Ruby continued. "And I'm pretty sure you are it for her too. I know this whole distance thing just fucking sucks for you both, but have you ever thought about the future, Em? A future with her and you and Henry?"

"Yeah, I have."

"Emma," Ruby said seriously as she moved to face her more fully. "Would you want to marry her?"

"Marry her?" Emma laughed with a shake of her head. "Ruby, we've just gotten back together. Marriage is the furthest thing from my mind right now."

Her voice wavered and she knew that Ruby could see right through her. She had thought about it, fleetingly, but because their relationship was still so new, and yet it wasn't, she didn't want to play with those dangerous thoughts just yet.

"No, it's not."

"No," Emma sighed, giving in. "It really isn't, but it's too soon. I can't…I just can't think of that, Ruby."

"Em…"

"We're hundreds of miles apart now. We still have miles to go to get there, you know? But when I'm with her, I don't think of that. I just…"

"Have hot, sweaty lesbian sex for an entire weekend?"

Emma rolled her eyes as she hit her best friend in the arm playfully. "It's more than that. It's more than the physical connection, but it's not like I'm complaining about the physical side of things because Regina does this thing with her tongue that—"

"Emma!"

"Hmm?"

"What thing does she do with her tongue?"

"Like I would ever tell you."

"You're such a tease!"

"That's what she said."

"Emma!" Ruby snickered as they fell into each other, both unable to stop laughing at this point. "Would you though? Marry her one day?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded without hesitation. "One day."

"One day!" Ruby sing-songed as she batted her eyelashes at Emma. She flinched before Emma could retaliate, holding up a hand in submission. "Okay, okay!"

Emma smiled and she took another sip of her beer. It was good to be home and she knew what Ruby was doing, she knew that this was more than just a fleeting conversation between two friends. Ruby was doing her best to make her feel at ease, to make her forget, just for a moment or two, just how much she missed Regina and it was working. It wasn't until she finally went to bed hours later and not until after she'd made Henry's lunch for the next day, that she felt that deep ache in her heart and she fell asleep with nothing but thoughts of Regina and how the next two weeks were going to feel a lot longer than the eleven years they had spent apart.

* * *

The next two weeks had dragged by so very slowly and Regina felt like she was on her very last nerve as she finished up in her office early. The rehearsal dinner was in just a few short hours, the wedding itself taking place the very next afternoon. Between Kathryn's continuous phone calls over the wedding plans that were seemingly falling apart and David was freaking out, wavering on the edge of getting cold feet and positively driving Kathryn and everyone else around him insane as he gushed about his soon-to-be wife, Regina had only one focus at the front of her mind and that was the fact that Emma would be arriving very shortly.

She had barely just been able to get the day off of work to make the drive to Storybrooke so they would be there for the rehearsal dinner. When Regina had gotten the phone call that morning, she had been so happy, much happier than she'd been in the last two weeks without seeing Emma.

"Madam Mayor?" Shane asked tentatively as he knocked on the open office door. She lifted her attention from the papers in front of her and motioned for him to enter. "I know you're finishing up early today for the rehearsal dinner, but I have a lady out here saying she has an appointment."

"Who is it?"

"A Mrs. uh," Shane scratched at his head. "Swan-Mills?" He finished, looking confused as Regina had to bite her inner cheek from smiling and laughing out loud. "Is she family or something? Do you want me to let her in or tell her you're not—"

"Let her in, dear," Regina replied as sternly as she could just to keep the excitement from bubbling up from inside of her. "And Shane? There is no need for you to stay, you may go early. I'll take care of a few little things before I leave."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Regina quickly piled up the papers on her desk into a neat little stack, ready to be filed first thing Monday morning. Her heart was racing as she heard the sound of Emma's voice floating into her open office. The fact that Emma had told her young assistant that her name was the very same as the one used in Boston two weeks ago, it stirred something inside of her, something that made her glance at the drawer where the ring was kept in her desk for the briefest of moments before her attention was stolen away by the sound of her office door closing shut with a soft click.

They met each other halfway and before words could even be spoken, their lips were on one another's, kissing hungrily as their arms wrapped around each other tightly. Regina's heart felt like it was bursting, bursting with joy, with the feel of Emma in her arms again, bursting because she had waited for two weeks to feel that warmth she felt inside her heart when Emma was near her.

"Hey," Emma said quietly once they had stopped kissing.

"Hi," Regina smiled, kissing over Emma's lips that were quirked in an adorable smile. As Emma's lips curled into a pout, Regina raised an eyebrow yet neither moved to step out of their close, warm embrace. "What is it, darling?"

"I kind of sort of forgot to make reservations for us at the Inn and the place is booked to the nines for this wedding and—"

"And you have also forgotten that I invited you, Henry, and Ruby to stay at my house for this weekend as well."

"Oh. Right. Shit," Emma laughed, shaking her head. "I've been working my ass off the past few weeks and I'm exhausted. Ruby drove up here and I mostly just slept."

"Tonight is just the rehearsal dinner, if you are too tired to attend, it is quite all right."

"No," Emma said and she kissed Regina lightly. "I'll be there. I am your date, after all. Unless you've snagged some unsuspecting hottie while I've been away."

"Yes, I have," Regina chuckled and she loved the playful glint in Emma's eyes as they teased each other like this. "She's gorgeous, dear."

"Blonde?"

"But of course, don't you know you silly girl, blonde's are my type," Regina replied, trying to keep a straight face and failing. She kissed her again because how could she not and when they parted after a moment, she sighed contently. "Mmm, what are you going to wear tonight?"

"It's not formal right?"

"The wedding itself is barely that, darling."

"But it's not like I can show up in jeans."

"You don't have any idea what to wear, do you?"

Emma shook her head sheepishly and Regina laughed, knowing this would happen because Emma had warned her that when it came to planning outfits for special occasions, she always failed. Regina, in turn, took it upon herself to purchase two outfits, one for the rehearsal dinner and one for the wedding itself, taking great pains to make sure that the two outfits she bought for Emma would pair well with her own while not making it look so obvious she was trying to get them into matching colours.

"While I know how gorgeous you would look in anything, including a dress, I do know you, darling and I know you would simply refuse because you wouldn't want to spend hours being uncomfortable," she said and she let go of her reluctantly and walked over to where four garment bags hung inside a shallow closet, freshly pressed just hours before. "Rehearsal," she said as she handed the grey one to Emma and then the blue one. "Wedding."

"Fuck, you're the best, Gina!" Emma laughed, managing to grab a hold of her even with both of them holding the garment bags in both hands and she lifted Regina slightly off her feet as she planted a solid kiss on her lips. "You totally picked out matching outfits, didn't you?" She asked after a moment and Regina shrugged nonchalantly as she walked over to her desk to retrieve her purse and keys.

Regina said nothing as she led the way out of her office, hitting the lights as Emma followed. After locking up, they shared one brief kiss before heading down the stairs and out to the parking lot where Ruby and Henry were waiting by Ruby's car that was parked beside Regina's Mercedes. After a short greeting, they climbed into their cars and headed for the Mills' house. They had a rehearsal party to attend in a few short hours and Regina wanted to spend a little bit of time with Emma alone before they left.


	24. Chapter 24

Regina grinned at her reflection in the mirror and for the third and final time she carefully applied the deep red lipstick to her lips, pausing to look at Emma buttoning up the blouse carefully—for the third time as well. They had tried and failed to get ready for the rehearsal dinner for over an hour and this time Regina had been serious when she told Emma that they most definitely didn't have time for another quickie, as Emma had so eloquently worded it.

"Seriously, you're wearing that?" Emma asked and Regina nodded, puckering her lips together as she placed the cap back on the tube of lipstick. "How the hell am I going to get through tonight when you're wearing that?"

That, in question, was a black lacy dress, the satin underneath a deep purple, matched to the same purple blouse that Emma wore and paired with purple pumps with five inch heels. Emma's blouse was paired with a tight pair of slacks, ones that Regina knew the instant she'd laid her eyes on them in the store, just how good Emma's ass would look in them and she too wore heels, black heels she'd wobbled on a little before finding her footing after a few trips around the bedroom.

"Hmm, is there something wrong with what I'm wearing, darling?"

"It's short."

"Yes."

"And tight," Emma continued as she stalked her way over to Regina as she stood in front of her vanity, watching Emma in the reflection of the mirror. "And I know for a fact that you are not wearing anything under it. Fuck."

"I don't want any lines showing."

"Plus," Emma said as she wrapped her arms around her from behind, smiling as Regina's hands landed on top of her own. "We totally match, Gina."

"Subtly," Regina chuckled with a shake of her head and she turned in Emma's arms, immediately placing a finger over her lips to keep her from starting something they most definitely did not have time for. "You should go and make sure Henry is ready. I just need to pop down to the wine cellar and grab a bottle or two."

Emma nodded, but not before managing to sneak a quick kiss to Regina's cheek before they both walked out of the master bedroom, Emma heading down to the guest bedroom Henry would be staying in that weekend while Regina headed downstairs and into the basement.

The rehearsal dinner was to be rather low-key and quaint, taking place on the Nolan farm and inside a tent set up in the yard to the rear of the house. The guest list wasn't massive, not on the grand scale of things, just under a hundred people. People Regina could trust not to spread word back to her mother that she'd brought a woman as her date. While she had planned not to announce her relationship with the beautiful blonde woman, she wasn't going to blatantly hide her affections for her either.

This night wasn't about her. It was about David and Mary Margaret. She could respect that, but she did know that the people there would be more than just a little surprised to see her arrive with a woman of course, but it was definitely something she had told herself she'd just need to get used to. Kathryn had convinced her of that much, making a rather valid point that she could not steal away with a private relationship with someone who affected her so deeply for much longer anyway.

To say she was a little bit nervous was a severe understatement, but she needed to go through with this. Emma had driven eight hours just to be here this weekend for David and Mary Margaret's wedding after all. After scanning over the selection of wine in the cellar, she grabbed two bottles of twenty year merlot, one of her father's favourites when he'd been alive and she quickly made her way back upstairs just as Emma and Henry came down the stairs together.

"My, aren't you handsome, " Regina smiled down at Emma's son. "Purple seems to be a theme for tonight," she chuckled as she pointed to his bow-tie and Henry flashed a toothy grin at her, one she only just realized she had grown to miss.

She watched as Emma nudged at Henry, giving him a glare before he cleared his throat and stared up at her. "You look lovely, Regina. Mom told me to ask you to dance tonight. There is going to be dancing right?"

"Of course."

"Cool," Henry grinned and he bounced in joy as Ruby came down the stairs wearing a tight red dress that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.

"Raising your son to be a charming young man, I see," Regina teased as she stood close to Emma. "Are you ready to go, Emma?"

"Yeah, as I'll ever be, unless you wanna skip dinner and—"

"No," Regina cut her off firmly, but with a playful smile dancing over crimson lips. Emma frowned as she placed a hand on her lower back and Regina instantly leaned into the subtle, soft touch. "Later, darling," she whispered before placing the two bottles of merlot in a cloth bag and slipping into her jacket to starve off the slight chill of the late September evening.

After some discussion about who was going with who in what car, Ruby and Henry leave together, clamouring inside of Ruby's sports car, the engine roaring to life before they drive off, music blasting from the radio and fading quickly as the car does. Alone again, Regina lead the way down to her car and the two of them climbed inside with comfortable silence between them and the tote with the wine nestled safely in the small back seat. It was all too much of a natural ease for Regina to reach over for Emma's hand, intertwining their fingers together as she pulled out of the driveway and drove down Mifflin Street.

The Nolan farm, not far from the stables where she kept her horses, was a half an hour drive and throughout that time, they made small talk, talking about nothing in particular at all, just enjoying each other's company and Regina had been so far avoiding mentioning how two weeks apart had been so hard for her and she knew, she just knew from the look that Emma had given her plenty of times over the last few short hours, that it had been just as hard for her to spend that much time apart.

Cars lined the long, dirt driveway and after finding a spot to park, they exited the car and their hands instantly joined again, both of them smiling lovingly at one another as they started up the walk towards the farm house. They shared a brief, short kiss, Regina stopping short to wipe away the lipstick left behind on Emma's lips before they met up with Ruby and Henry and made their way around to the back of the house and the large tent that was set up back there.

Regina tensed when she felt dozens upon dozens of eyes fall upon her and her beautiful date, their hands still linked together, Emma squeezing her hand a little as if she sensed she was about to let go.

"Regina!" Kathryn laughed as she rushed over towards them and quickly took the cloth tote the two bottles of wine were in from Regina's hand not currently being held in a vice grip. "You look beautiful!"

"Thank you, you do too, dear," she smiled, relaxing as she leaned in for a one-armed hug and watched as Kathryn gave Emma a once over with a more than appreciative gaze that had the green-eyed monster on her shoulder rearing it's ugly head.

"Come, I'll show you to your table," Kathryn smiled at all four of them, ushering them over the temporary parquet flooring that covered the grass under the tent.

Regina relaxed as the eyes previously on the two of them were averted, everyone going back to the small conversations they'd been having before she and Emma had walked into the tent, hand in hand. Following Kathryn, they ended up at a table off to the side and near the head table where the soon to be bride and groom and their small wedding party would be seated at.

Regina just watched once she and Emma were seated side by side as Kathryn doted over Henry and his adorable little purple bow-tie. She grew hyper-aware of how close Emma was to her suddenly as Emma draped an arm around the back of the white wood chair she sat in, her other hand languidly tracing small circles over her bare knee as she too watched the exchange between Kathryn and Henry.

Throughout the three course dinner that was served, Regina had to suppress the overwhelming urge to lean in towards Emma, to kiss her every time she flashed a smile her way just because. The laughter that floated throughout the tent, lit by hundreds of little white string lights, it just felt so surreal. As the last course's plates were cleared away, Emma draped her arm over Regina's shoulders, her chair shuffling closer as her hand fell upon her bare knee once again.

Regina's mind flashed back to that night at the Rabbit Hole, the night they were supposed to only be there as friends and then everything had taken such a sudden and drastically different turn after the shots had been flowing. Friends, she thought to herself, minding a hearty chuckle she couldn't hold back, friends was something they could never just be, not when they were connected so deeply, so thoroughly.

She didn't allow Emma to get very far, knowing exactly what her intentions were, and instead she took Henry up on his earlier proposal once the music had started up, dancing with him under Emma's watchful gaze. Just as one song ended and the next started up, Emma had swept her away from Henry, spinning her over the dance floor just before their lips met in a soft yet sure kiss, a kiss that didn't last for very long before they melted into each other's arms, the rest of the world falling away as they swayed to the music the DJ played.

Regina just indulged in the feel of being in Emma's arms again, her mind drawing to the thoughts of what would transpire between them later that night and not doing a thing to quell her libido nor her thoughts of a specific ring and that perhaps in less than a year they would be dancing at their very own rehearsal dinner for their own wedding.

Hours of homely food, dancing and wine, although just a single glass for herself while Emma had indulged in several, Regina led her to the car, Henry and Ruby already gone and headed back to the house and likely waiting for them to arrive. Emma had enjoyed herself, thoroughly, and while she had stolen a few kisses, nothing more than quick and chaste, Regina was craving a proper kiss from her girlfriend and she didn't hesitate for a moment as soon as they were in her car.

"Hmm, I've wanted to do that for hours," Regina hummed, her hands cupping Emma's face and she pulled her in for another deep kiss. She moaned as Emma's hand slipped up her thigh and under her dress and she pulled back as Emma's fingers stroked over her firmly. "Emma!"

"And I've wanted to do that for hours too," Emma chuckled, not moving her hand from under her dress, her fingers stroking over her.

Emma captured her lips in a hard, hungry kiss as Regina opened her thighs as wide as her dress would allow. Regina knew all too well just how horny Emma was whenever she'd had a few too many drinks in her system. She was bolder and she liked it harder and faster and while Regina loved that side of her, allowing Emma to touch her like this where they were in her car, people walking past them to their own cars, it was risky. Too risky.

"Emma—"

Her protest died quickly as Emma shook her head and continued to kiss her. Regina kissed her back just as hard as fingers deftly slipped inside of her. At the sound of tapping on the driver's side window, Regina forcefully pushed Emma and her hand away from her. Her heart was pounding as she smoothed out her dress and looked to see who was standing outside of her car.

Regina didn't recognize the middle aged man standing outside of her car and she felt a lump in her throat rise as she rolled down the window.

"Can I help you?" She asked in her mayoral tone, a fake smile splayed over her lips as she watched the man sway drunkenly. "Sir?"

"Oh um, I'm looking for my date," he slurred. "I thought this was her car."

"It's not," Emma said as she leaned back in her seat and Regina just smiled politely at the man, obviously too drunk and too confused at the moment.

"Oh, you're her," he said as a look of realization dawned on his face. "You're the Mayor, Henry's successor and only daughter," he chuckled to himself and wiped a hand on his shirt before sticking his hand out towards her. "Albert Spencer."

Regina felt the panic stir inside of her as she recognized the name of the man, a friend of her father's when he had been alive. Had he seen what she and Emma had been doing or was the cover of darkness and the fact that he was obviously stupidly drunk just enough to have not seen anything at all?

"Albert!" A woman yelled from further up the driveway before Regina could politely shake the drunk man's hand. "What are you doing? I'm waiting! The car is running, let's go you, you drunk fool!"

"Sorry, I do apologize, Madam Mayor. Have a good night."

"What the hell?" Emma groaned as Regina slumped back against her seat. "Gina, you okay? Did you know that guy?"

"He was a friend of my father's, but I never personally knew him. I didn't know who he was until he'd said his name."

"Do you think he saw us?"

"I do not know, Emma."

"If he saw anything, is he gonna tell your mother?" Emma asked worriedly and Regina wasn't sure about that either. She knew that both her parents' friends were all members at the country club, but she wasn't sure that Albert Spencer was on friendly terms with her mother. Not many people were. "Shit, I'm so sorry, babe. I should've just waited until we were back at the house, but you know you purposely going without underwear just drives me fucking crazy."

Regina smiled warmly as she moved to trail her fingers through Emma's hair, bringing her in for a soft kiss, letting her lips linger for a moment before pulling apart. "It is okay. I'm sure he didn't see anything, darling."

"What if he did? What if your mother—"

"I am not afraid of my mother, Emma. At least I am trying not to be. It won't be like this forever, I can promise you that much."

"I know."

They had talked during their long and regular phone calls about telling her mother about their relationship. It would be one of the hardest things Regina would ever have to do and even though she almost had many years ago, she was still dreading that conversation because she knew exactly how it would turn out and how it would end.

A part of her was also furious because she had been assured that nobody attending the wedding would have the gall to report to her mother that she was attending the rehearsal dinner and the wedding with another woman as her date, not would they report to her mother after seeing how affectionate the two had been with one another throughout dinner and afterwards. She had been _assured_ that they would be able to one hundred percent be able to be together as they were without having to worry.

She kissed Emma again, unable to keep away from those delectable lips that had teased her with chaste kisses all night long. And she was still so wet from the way Emma's fingers has so expertly worked her over that she not just wanted her to touch her again, to fuck her right there in the car despite already having one interruption, she _needed_ Emma to touch her again.

As her fingers wrapped around Emma's wrist and guided it back to her legs, Emma shifted in the front seat, moving closer and kissing her deeper as she slid her hand back up between her thighs and under her dress without a moment of hesitation.

The instant Emma's insistent fingers were slipping over slick, wet folds, Regina moaned deep in her throat, her fingers grasping at Emma's shoulders, one hand buried deep in her hair holding her close. Emma didn't tease her like she had before, driving two fingers deep inside of her, her tongue thrusting into her mouth and against her tongue in time to the rhythm of her fingers. Regina moaned, eliciting a moan from Emma in the process and she was coming undone in less than a minute, her libido already having worked her up towards the edge over the course of the night.

It definitely wasn't her fault that Emma Swan was something she desired so deeply, so thoroughly, that almost all of her thoughts that centred around the blonde were of moments exactly like this. That night at the Rabbit Hole had been thoroughly exciting and it was something so far out of what Regina had ever thought herself of doing before, but then again, with the way that Emma had come sweeping back into her life months ago, it was no surprise she had let down her well-guarded walls and let her in completely.

Breaking away with a jolt from Emma's lips, Regina caught Emma's heady gaze with her own and she bit her bottom lip as Emma lifted her fingers, the very fingers that had just been inside of her moments ago, and sucked them into her mouth, moaning softly as she did. Watching Emma do this always drove her crazy and insane with the need to have her lips and tongue on her, tasting her direct from the source instead of off of her own fingers.

Regina reached out for her hand, her fingers curling over her wrist as she tugged those fingers from between Emma's lips and brought them to her own. There was just something so erotic when it came to tasting herself on Emma, whether it be her fingers or her lips and tongue. Emma groaned as she squirmed in the passenger seat and Regina knew the look she received when she pulled Emma's fingers out of her mouth with a loud pop.

Home. She couldn't get them home fast enough and even though she knew that they would have to be quiet, she knew that tonight would be a very long, pleasurable one.

* * *

Emma took in the atmosphere around her, smiling as she kept her arm firmly wrapped over Regina's waist as they watched the newlyweds share their first dance together as husband and wife. The afternoon had been rather emotional, the love that David and Mary Margaret had emanated off of them completely and even Emma, who never cried at weddings or funerals, had felt her emotions wavering, her tears springing up out of nowhere and falling as Regina cried as well. Now that the reception was in full swing, the stars out above the open aired dance floor, Emma was feeling the emotions all over again and just the feel of Regina pressed so tightly into her as they watched the first dance take place had taken her emotions to a whole different and very new level she wasn't quite prepared for.

Unlike the night before, Regina was not wearing a dress, instead her outfit was similar to her own. The dress pants felt so natural on her, every bit of fabric clinging to her perfectly, fitting her just like her skinny jeans did, only the fabric was softer and far more appropriate for a not strictly formal wedding. Her blouse, fairly similar to the one she wore the night before, felt good against her skin and her braless breasts—a simple, yet punctuated request of Regina's when they had been getting ready earlier. The colour, while not something she'd normally wear, was a different shade of purple, matched to the camisole Regina wore under her similar dark grey blouse, the style a little different with the shape of the collar and the way it hugged at her torso.

Henry, Ruby, and Kathryn had made not so subtle comments on their not so subtle matching outfits a few times already, but Emma was beyond caring because she knew how good they looked together. Regina, of course, had amazing taste when it came to just about anything and when she had been told her outfits for that weekend had been chosen for her, she knew that the clothes she had previously packed wouldn't even stand up to the clothes that Regina had bought her without question. Of course she wished that Regina had chosen another dress, because after last night and in the car, all she wanted was that opportunity to slide her hands up the smooth expanse of her skin, to touch her, to tease her, just as she had in the car. Twice.

As the music changed, couples moved to the dance floor in droves and Emma turned into Regina, smiling as Regina's arms were instantly draped over her shoulders and she was met with a dazzling smile that made her want to kiss her over and over again. She never even hesitated as she leaned in for a kiss that lingered long beyond chaste and their bodies moved to the beat of the music.

With the wine and various other drinks Emma had consumed over the last few, short hours, she was horny and could only just barely control her wandering hands as she danced with Regina. Even in her inebriated state, she knew it wasn't only the alcohol that made her feel such a way. Regina had always had that intoxicating sensation on her that she just couldn't shake.

The way that Regina hummed against her neck had her wishing they weren't in the presence of over a hundred other people as they swayed to the music, bodies close and clinging to one another. Emma stole her attention away from Regina for a moment, her eyes scanning over the crowd and over to her son currently dancing with the bride and she smiled because the two of them looked completely happy while David watched on with a smile flickering over his lips as he watched his new wife dance with the young boy, teaching him how to dance properly, the giggles erupting every so often as Mary Margaret would move Henry's hands to the appropriate positions.

"Emma," Regina whispered against the skin on her neck, her lips kissing over her pulse point before she leaned back to look into her eyes. "I love you," she whispered, just loud enough for her to hear over the music.

"I love you," Emma whispered back, never getting tired of hearing those words spill past Regina's full lips. She stole a quick kiss, one of many that went unnoticed by the people surrounding them, and she held Regina tighter and closer against her even as the music changed to a faster beat.

"Come with me," Regina whispered, her lips ghosting over Emma's for a moment before her hands reached for hers and Emma found herself behind led towards the farmhouse and the followed without hesitation.

While the guests had mostly stayed outside, the night perfect for an outdoor party, there were some guests inside and Emma followed Regina in the back door. The one storey house wasn't large and after trying a few doors and finding them locked, they found one that wasn't, one where there were piles of jackets on the small bed of the guests who were inside.

"Regina—"

Emma found herself pressed up against the wall next to the door, Regina's lips instantly on hers in a hot, wet kiss. By the insistent way that Regina's fingers were unbuttoning her blouse, Emma knew she definitely wasn't going to be able to wait until they were back at the house and in the privacy of Regina's bedroom.

Emma moaned as Regina's fingers pulled the hem of the blouse of her slacks and pulled it open, her palms splaying over her abdomen as they kissed harder and deeper. Like the night before, she had gone without a bra and Regina's palms were sliding over her breasts, her nipples hardening as she arched into her touch. She threw her head back as Regina's lips made a quick descent down her neck and she bit her lower lip to quiet her moans as Regina's tongue flicked over a hard nipple.

Her hands threaded through Regina's soft hair, watching as she licked down the center of her abdomen, her tongue circling over her navel as her hands made quick work at undoing her pants. Emma loved this side of Regina, especially when she was so turned on that she just couldn't wait. It always ended in them fucking each other hard and fast without abandon.

Emma pulled Regina back up to her lips, moaning into her mouth as Regina's hand slipped into her pants and cupped her over her panties, panties she wished she'd ditched because all she wanted as to feel Regina's fingers against her fully. She managed to focus just long enough to work her fingers at unbuttoning Regina's blouse, their lips and tongue practically devouring one another as Regina rubbed over her clit hard, the friction of her growing wetness and her panties as a barrier made her whole body spasm with need.

As the last button came undone and she pulled the blouse from Regina's pants, she pushed her way away from the wall, her hands sliding up Regina's back and into her hair, holding her close as they moved jerkily across the small room. As soon as Regina's backside hit the bare dresser, her hands moved to grab at her breasts through her red lace bra, feeling how hard her nipples were through the soft material. It elicited a raw, sensual moan from Regina and it only compelled her to push her up against the dresser harder, a thigh slipping between her legs as they kissed harder, deeper.

"Emma," Regina gasped as she clutched at her, her short nails digging into her lower back as Emma thrust her thigh against her harder. "Oh! Emma, _fuck_, I need you to touch me…"

"Fuck."

Emma kissed her wildly again, her hands moving to the single button on her pants and quickly undid it, her right hand sliding inside her pants immediately and coming in to contact with nothing but bare, wet flesh. Using the dresser as leverage, Emma slipped two fingers inside of her, the pants just loose enough to give her room as she pushed her harder against the dresser, the sound of their breathy moans and the soft smacking of their lips filled the otherwise quiet of the room.

The fact that they could be caught at any moment dawned on Emma in an instant and she felt Regina smile against her lips as her hands slipped past Emma's panties and her fingers hurriedly slicked over her cunt. They broke away from each others lips for a moment, brown eyes drinking in green as their fingers found a steady rhythm that pleased them both.

"I couldn't wait," Regina moaned quietly.

"Not complaining."

"We could be caught."

"All the reason to…go faster," Emma groaned as Regina's fingers slammed inside of her harder, faster with every word that fell past her lips. "Jesus," Emma groaned, her head dropping to Regina's shoulder as she felt the brunette's body start to twitch every time she grown her palm against a sensitive clit.

Emma could hardly stand on her own two feet with the way Regina's fingers pounded inside of her. She moved her free hand to the edge of the dresser, gripping on to it as their lips met again in another hungry kiss. With the way Regina's pussy was clenching at her fingers, she knew she was so very close and it wouldn't take much more to have her falling over the edge and coming undone.

Her heart was pounding as she felt her own orgasm building quickly. Regina's moans were spurning her on and she could feel her body twitching more and _god_ she loved it when Regina came like this, the pleasure almost too much for her to try to contain. Their hips moved against insistent fingers, both so close and when Regina came undone, she sucked on Emma's bottom lip as her hips jerked against Emma's hand, covering her fingers in hot, sticky cum as she stilled them and kept them buried to the hilt inside of her.

She found herself suddenly without warning being spun around, her ass hitting the edge of the dresser as Regina's fingers continue to thrust inside of her relentlessly. She slipped her hand out from inside of Regina's pants, gripping at the dresser with both hands as her hips bucked and twitched against her hand. She lifted the hand she'd had inside of her, licking over her fingers the moment she broke away from Regina's kiss swollen lips. Just the taste of her had her moaning and wishing she had worn a dress or a skirt so she could lift her up on the dresser, push that skirt up and bury her face between tanned thighs.

Emma threw her head back, fighting the moans that still escaped past parted lips. The feel of Regina's hot tongue trailing down her neck slowly was what did it and she came hard and fast, her fingers digging into the wood edge of the dresser as Regina's fingers didn't let up, didn't slow as they drew out her orgasm completely.

Neither paused for a moment, their lips hungrily finding their way to each other again, the kiss hot and slow and deep. Regina hesitantly slipped her hand out from inside of her, her hand and wet fingers coming to rest on her hip just inside of her shirt. They parted from their kiss, smiling lazily at one another.

"I can't wait to take you home," Regina whispered and Emma smiled wider as she wrapped her arms around her lover. "I want to spend all night," she continued as she punctuated almost every word with a light lingering kiss, "loving you."

"Mmm," Emma smiled and she bit her lower lip as one of Regina's hands slid up her torso and over her left breast. "Regina…"

Regina's brown eyes were dark with lust as she urged Emma to sit up on the edge of the dresser, her head ducking down once she did to wrap her lips over an achingly stiff nipple, her eyes looking up at Emma as she leaned back a little and watched her. She dragged her teeth over the hard flesh, eliciting a rather loud moan out of Emma as she did. And as Regina started to tug at the waistband of her pants, they both seemed to forget exactly where they were and Emma lifted up, letting her pull both her pants and panties down just past her knees.

They both jumped as the door crashed open before they could continue any further. Emma pulled Regina's body against hers, covering herself as Ruby and Kathryn stumbled into the room with their lips locked with one another's as they stumbled in drunkenly.

"Holy shit," Emma said under her breath and then, just with those words, Ruby snapped back from Kathryn and looked over at her and Regina with wide eyes.

"Oh!" Ruby squeaked as she unceremoniously pushed Kathryn away from her quickly.

Kathryn's realization dawned on her all of a sudden too and the four friends just looked at each other for a moment before the giggles erupted from all of them. Regina looked back at Emma, smiling fondly as she helped her pull her pants back up while covering what was left of her dignity in the presence of their friends.

Emma hopped down from the dresser as she took in the sight of Ruby and Kathryn, not surprised in the least that the two of them had ended up drunkenly kissing and planning to use the room for god knows what.

"This is awkward," Kathryn muttered as she fixed her crumpled dress.

"Yes, dear," Regina tittered as she took Emma's hand in her own. "But at least it isn't the first time either of you have walked in on us."


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Notes: Again, thank you reviewers! I love hearing your thoughts on each chapter! I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to read and review (but I can give you more!) Enjoy :)**

* * *

Emma sighed out into the quiet of the bedroom as Regina's lips trailed a deliciously slow descent down her naked body. They had been holed up in the bedroom since they left the wedding not long after Ruby and Kathryn had walked in on them in the guest room at the Nolan farm. Henry had fallen asleep in the cab and it had been Ruby who offered to put him to bed. That led to Regina leading Emma straight for the bedroom and they were kissing before the door even shut behind them.

One thing led to another, clothes removed hurriedly, lips and hands wandering over familiar bodies as they fell onto the bed together. It had been an emotionally charged day for all of them and even now as she watched Regina place soft, loving kisses along her abdomen, she was feeling those same emotions toiling, tugging at her very soul.

The one emotion that made her feel everything so much more, that made her hopes and dreams soar brighter than ever before. She would marry Regina in a heartbeat, if she ever asked or if she somehow got the courage to ask her. She was emotional because all through the day she could just imagine what their own wedding would be like and how happy that day would be for them both.

"Emma," Regina moaned against her skin, stilling as she lifted her head to look up at her more fully. "What's wrong, darling?"

"Nothing," Emma smiled and she blinked away the tears that had welled up in her eyes all of a sudden. "Nothing, just thinking about today."

"It was a wonderful wedding, wasn't it?"

"Hmm, yeah, it was."

Regina simply just smiled and dipped her head back down slowly, her tongue slipping past her lips to taste the skin just below Emma's navel. Emma's thoughts were still lingering, but she focused more on Regina now than anything else, not wanting to stop for anything in the world. She arched her back as Regina playfully nipped at her skin, her teeth scraping across as she settled between Emma's legs.

Despite the urgency that had been there between them the moment they walked into the room, Regina moved slowly, every kiss lingering for a few seconds as she moved lower, kissing over Emma's hipbones. She spread her legs wider, her mouth delivering hot kisses along the inside of her thighs, her lustful brown eyes drinking in the sight of her spread open, wet and ready for her.

Regina's right arm went under Emma's left leg, her other sliding under Emma's other leg and reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers together as she licked only the length of Emma's cunt slowly. Emma gasped as Regina placed her whole mouth over her and sucked. Hard. She could barely hold back, knowing they had to be quiet since they were far from being alone in the house. Emma gripped at the sheets and at Regina's hand as she felt her tongue slip over her fully.

She wasn't used to having to be quiet, not after they'd spent the summer right there in that very same bed with no restrictions, no reason to bite that lip and hold back the moaning and the screaming and everything else.

Regina's tongue moved slowly and firmly over her pussy, tasting her, teasing her, doing all sorts of things to her and all she could go was clutch at the sheets and squeeze their joined hands a little harder. Her tongue quickened, moving over Emma's clit, never letting up even as Emma's hand moved from the sheets to the back of her head, threading her fingers through her hair, fighting the urge to pull her away and pull her tighter against her.

When her toes curl, she moaned a lot louder than she intended to, but her orgasm had gripped on tight, flooding through her whole body all at once, her pussy twitching with every touch of Regina's tongue as she continued to lave at her quivering hole.

"Regina," she whispered, tugging at their still joined hands. Regina looked up at her with a dangerously sexy glint in her eyes. "Come here, babe."

Regina very slowly crawled up her body, their joined hands unclasping as their lips met in a hot, heavy kiss. Emma loved tasting herself on Regina's lips and tongue. "I really do want to spend all night loving you," Regina whispered between kisses. "I don't want you to leave tomorrow."

"Don't talk about tomorrow," Emma groaned quietly, her heart already starting to sink in her chest at the thought. "Just spend all night loving me, baby."

"We'll have to be quiet, far quieter than a few moments ago," Regina said with a teasing smile. "Much quieter."

"Kinda hard when you do that thing with your tongue."

"You love the thing I do with my tongue."

"Wanna do it again?" Emma asked, wiggling her eyebrows almost comically.

They both burst into quiet laughter and Emma loved having moments like this with Regina, especially after having one hell of an explosive orgasm she could still feel lingering through her body. As the laughter died down, Regina moved against her thigh, her own thigh falling between Emma's legs and Emma could feel how wet she was and she hadn't even touched her yet.

"Yes," Regina whispered, "Over and over again."

"Fuck."

They kissed again, slow and deep as they moved against one another, neither in a hurry to satisfy, to please, to bring the other toppling over the edge, both just enjoying the feel of each other and becoming lost together in one passionate kiss.

Emma's hands swept down Regina's back and she smiled against her lips as she smoothed her hands over the curve of her ass and pulled her against her thigh harder. Emma moved a hand to her lower back and trailed her fingers down the crack of her ass, feeling Regina jerk in surprise as her fingers delicately slid over her puckered flesh.

"Stay just like this," Emma whispered before moving out from underneath her, watching as Regina laid her head down on the pillows in front of her, her ass still in the air as she spread her legs under Emma's intense gaze. "Fuck, you're beautiful."

She felt Regina suppress a moan as Emma ran her hands over her ass as she moved to kneel behind her. Ducking her head down, she kissed over the soft flesh, moaning against her skin as she thought of taking things a step further than they had ever gone before. She wasn't sure how Regina would react, but in that moment she didn't care, she just had to have her in every way.

She licked over the warm skin, grinning as Regina pushed back a little against her mouth. She trailed her fingers over her cunt as she licked over her puckered hole, eliciting a soft, breathy moan from Regina as she clutched at the bed under the pillows. Emma grew a little bolder, her tongue pressing harder as her thumb slipped inside of Regina, teasing her before moving to lick over her other hole again.

"Emma," Regina moaned quietly. "Don't stop. Do it again."

"This?" Emma asked softly before she pressed the tip of her tongue inside the puckered hole, feeling her tighten even more against the intrusive touch.

Emma continued teasing her tongue against her. She slipped two fingers inside of her hot, tight cunt, loving the breathy moans that filled the quiet room, moans that were quiet enough not to make it past the walls. She could feel Regina's pussy clenching at her fingers as she licked over her fully again, her body starting to twitch as her orgasm suddenly flooded through her.

Emma kept her fingers buried inside of her and licked over her just a few more times before sliding wet fingers out of her slowly, watching Regina's body twitch and jerk as she slipped her fingers over her sensitive cunt. Regina slid down on to her stomach, smiling as she looked back at Emma.

She smiled right back, crawling to lay beside her, watching her as she continued to twitch slightly as she moved to lay closer to Emma. Her hands slid over Emma's stomach, her eyes following her hand as she let out a heavy breath she seemed to be holding. Emma reached out, titling her chin as she leaned in to kiss her again. It was brief, however, because Regina started to move down her body, placing hurried kisses along the way before she was right back between Emma's legs again.

Emma gasped as she felt Regina's hot breath over her cunt and her fingers spreading her nether lips firmly. She watched as Regina licked over her lips before licking at her clit, teasingly at first before she winked up at Emma.

She was going to do the thing with her tongue, that much Emma knew and she waited with bated breath, her whole body tensing up just at the thought of it. She didn't always do the thing with her tongue, saving it for unexpected moments. Yes, Emma really _loved_ when she did that thing with her tongue.

She purred as Regina's tongue slipped inside of her and it curled and twisted inside of her. Regina rolled her tongue inside of her, sending her whole body in a wave of pleasure as she did the thing with her tongue. She nearly came as Regina did it again, curling her tongue as she slipped it inside of her, rolling it against her inner walls before moving her lips to her clit and sucked on her hard.

When she felt Regina's tongue slip over her fully, licking from her clit and down past her hole, she arched her back, her whole body reacting to the surprising touch of Regina's agile tongue teasing over her puckered flesh. When she did it again, Emma nearly lost control, her hips bucking up off the bed at the feel of her tongue in an entirely new place. Not that she was complaining. Far from complaining, more like about to flip Regina over and return the favour, but she was so into this, into where Regina's tongue continued to explore.

She shuddered as Regina's tongue moved to slip back inside of her, twisting and curling and bringing her just to the edge before easing her tongue out, teasing it over her aching, wet flesh. She grabbed at the bed sheets, her hips being held firmly in place by Regina's hand and she moaned rather loudly, unable to stop it from slipping past her lips as Regina's mouth covered her cunt completely and she sucked on her hard.

"Regina, god," Emma groaned as she did it again. "Fuck, Gina, turn around. I want you to sit on my face."

Regina's lips curled into a sexy grin as she pushed up on her hands and effortlessly turned her body around, her knees landing on either side of Emma's face. Emma groaned as she took in the sight of her. God, she was so wet and so ready for her. She always was, but there was something just so erotic in seeing that need for herself. She slicked her fingers through Regina's wetness, dipping out her tongue for a taste as she moved her fingers to the puckered hole, spreading the wetness over it as Regina's mouth was back on her, her tongue sliding into her nice and deep.

She bit her bottom lip, watching as Regina's pussy reacted to her fingers, to the intrusive touch, to the way her index finger pressed against the tight flesh. Regina moaned loudly against her, the vibrations making Emma arch up into her as her finger slipped inside her tight little hole. Just a little bit, just enough for Regina to squeal in delight as Emma wrapped her lips around her clit.

Emma threw her head back, murmuring quietly as the pleasure swirled through her deliciously. She came the moment Regina pushed back against the solitary finger, making it slide inside of her deeper. Emma couldn't take much more of this, the strain of trying to be quiet far too hard with how her body was feeling, with the delicious sight of her finger up Regina's ass, her pussy completely dripping. She latched her mouth over Regina's cunt, drinking her in, sucking her, tasting her and as she pushed her finger inside of her deeper, Regina tore her mouth away from between her legs, her hand grasping at her thigh as she let go to the sensations completely.

Regina almost screamed as her whole body spasmed, a violent orgasm ripping through her. Emma almost came again herself just from the sight of Regina's body reacting that way. She took mercy on her, deftly sliding her finger out from inside of her and placed soft, light kisses over the backs of her thighs.

Completely spent, Regina moved slowly to lay back down next to her, their hands trailing over damp, sweaty skin. They kissed soft and slow, the bodies coming down from the high of pleasure slowly and surely. Despite this being their last night together, the pull of sleep was far too strong for both of them and it was a struggle to get under the covers together before they were off to the land of dreams while wrapped up in each others arms and legs.

* * *

Emma woke up first bright and early the next morning with Regina in her arms, her back to her as she held Emma's hand over her heart. She woke up with thoughts of wondering how long it would be until this was something they did each and every day, that they woke up just like this after a night of passion together. Those thoughts from last night swirled in her mind again as she inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent that was just so fully and completely Regina.

God, she wanted this, she wanted to stay, she wanted this to be their bed and not Regina's bed. There was still some uncertainty that they would get there one day, but it was fading fast from her mind, her hope taking over, taking control of those little thoughts that had consumed her the night before completely.

She smiled as she pressed her lips to Regina's shoulder when she felt her start to stir. Regina held her hand tighter against her chest as she turned her head and smiled over at her in the warm morning light that flooded in through the windows.

"Good morning," Emma smiled at her, leaning in to kiss her before Regina laid her head back down on the pillow. "I love you."

"And I you," Regina replied huskily, her voice thick with sleep and it only made Emma's heart swell. "We should get up, darling."

"It's early."

"Yes," she sighed before turning in her arms. "But I promised Henry I would make pancakes this morning for breakfast and from the sound of things, he's already awake."

Emma listened for a moment and sure enough she could hear the cartoons playing on the TV downstairs rather loudly and that also meant that Ruby was awake as well.

"Shower?"

"Perhaps after breakfast," Regina grinned and they shared one long, lingering kiss before slipping out of bed.

Emma dug through her suitcase for the sweat pants she had packed and slipped them on before finding her favourite white tank top and pulling that on as well. When she turned, Regina was in her pyjama's and was sliding a grey robe on, leaving it untied as she slipped into a pair of slippers.

They reached out for each other, their fingers intertwining as Regina led her out of the bedroom and downstairs into the kitchen. Ruby was already in there, her hands wrapped around a cup of coffee as she leaned up against the island countertop.

"Morning," Ruby said quietly and Emma knew instantly that she was feeling the effects of the alcohol she had consumed last night. "Henry has been up for a while."

"How long is a while?" Emma asked, letting go of Regina's hand as she moved to the fridge. "You look like complete shit, Rubes."

"Feel like it too. Barely slept at all."

Emma frowned sympathetically and her eyes widened as Ruby gave her a smirk that meant one thing and she didn't fail to notice the way she looked over at Regina for a moment before looking right back at Emma. She rolled her eyes, not in the mood to listen to Ruby crack a few jokes about hearing her and Regina last night. Yet she wasn't prepared for what would come out of Ruby's mouth next…

"I'm pretty sure Henry is a little more than majorly freaked out right now," Ruby whispered quietly to her.

"What, why?"

"You know why, Em. God, even I heard you two last night."

Emma groaned as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I gotta do some major damage control right now. Shit, this is going to be awkward isn't it?"

"What's going on?" Regina asked as she looked over at the two of them whispering quietly. "Emma?"

"Henry heard us last night," Emma said, frowning when Regina's cheeks reddened with embarrassment. "Shit, I don't know how to handle this. He's never heard us having sex because we've never had sex when he's been in the same house because he's never been in the house while we've been having sex!"

"Em—"

"Ruby, what the hell do I say to him? God, I'm going to have to send him to therapy, aren't I?"

"Emma," Regina soothed as she wrapped her arms around her. "Just talk to him."

"And say what?"

"I don't know, darling."

Emma breathed heavily, looking over at her best friend for help with this. This was the last thing she ever wanted to deal with, but she should've known that this could happen with Henry in the house. Panic rose in her chest as she leaned into Regina's embrace.

"How do you know that Henry heard us?" Emma asked Ruby and she frowned as she looked down at the mug she had between both hands. "He told you, didn't he?"

"Yeah. He said, and I quote, I never want to hear my mom having sex ever again! He was red in the face, looking like he was upset and scared at the same time. I talked to him, told him it was normal for people in love to have sex, but he wasn't listening. He actually put his fingers in his ears so he didn't have to listen to me."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Regina asked and Emma shook her head no, knowing that it would be a hell of a lot more awkward with Regina there too. "I'll start breakfast shortly then, go on and talk to your son."

"Yeah," Emma sighed and she stepped out of her embrace. Frowning at Ruby as she flashed her a sympathetic smile, she walked out of the kitchen and followed the sounds of the TV. "Hey, kid," she said as she stood in the doorway of the living room, the only room in the house with a decent sized flatscreen TV.

She was greeted by a silent Henry sitting cross-legged on the couch, his eyes on the screen as he watched an episode of Spongebob that Emma knew he'd seen a hundred times before. She moved towards the leather couch and sat down, snatching the remote from beside Henry and muted the TV.

"You can't ignore me forever, kid."

"Yeah I can."

"Look, Ruby told me—"

"Don't," he huffed as he did everything he could not to look over at her. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I think we need to talk about it, kid, because it's obviously bothering you and there is no way I am spending eight hours in a car with you acting like this."

"I'm not acting like anything," he countered stubbornly and Emma pinched the bridge of her nose out of frustration. "I know you and Regina have sex, I just didn't want to have to _hear_ it because you're my mom and it's gross!"

"Okay, I get it, it's gross because I am your mother, but having sex with the person you love and are in a relationship with is normal, kid, and it's going to happen."

"Please don't say another word," Henry pleaded. "This is worse than when you gave me the talk last year. I was nine, Mom!"

"I caught you watching porn!"

"Almost watching!" Henry reminded her. "I was almost watching porn, I hadn't actually pressed play and I was only curious okay! Everyone was talking at school because Chris brought in that magazine he found in his father's office and—"

"Henry," Emma sighed quietly and she placed a hand on his shoulder, a lump forming in her throat as he coiled away from her instantly. "Look, kid, I get it. I do. There's nothing worse than hearing your own mother having sex. But you don't need to be embarrassed or anything, okay? I'm sorry you had to hear that last night, I am."

"I know," Henry said as he finally turned to look at her. "It was just so weird, okay!"

"I know," Emma chuckled softly, watching as her son simply just rolled his eyes at her.

"I heard her too," Henry said, his face flushing as his eyes darted away again. "Mom?"

"What?"

"Is it always like that?"

"Is what always like what exactly?" Emma asked, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment a second later when she realized what her son was asking her. "Yeah, kid, it is and _that_ is the first, only, and last time I am ever having this discussion with you."

"Good!" Henry countered. "Because this is the last time I ever want to talk about you having sex with Regina!"

Emma looked at Henry and she paled when she saw nothing more than a look of disgust on his face. "Do you have a problem with the fact that I'm with Regina, Henry?"

"No."

"Or do you have a problem with the fact that we have sex?"

Henry was silent and Emma tried to swallow that lump down but it only grew bigger. He wasn't a little kid anymore and she knew he understood far more than most kids his age did. She had always let him do things most parents wouldn't let their children do, watch movies that were rated R with or without her in the room with him. He had always quenched his curiosity one way or another and that left him with a very open mind and knowledge most kids his age never reached.

What she wasn't prepared for in any way or form was explaining the perks and joys of lesbian sex with her ten year old son.

"Henry?"

"I watched it," he said with a frown. "When you were working last weekend, I went on the internet and I found some videos."

"What kind of videos, kid?"

Henry rolled his eyes but he didn't and couldn't look at her. Emma knew what he was talking about, she wasn't blind to the fact that her son was smart enough to be able to find free porn videos on the internet. It didn't take a rocket scientist to do that.

"You know what kind of videos, Mom. I just didn't understand how…you know, two women could…and…" He trailed off, his face beet red.

Emma was equally as embarrassed as him. This was awkward, way beyond awkward and he had told her something that made everything a whole lot worse than she imagined it to be when Ruby told her that Henry had heard her and Regina last night. When she heard soft footsteps coming towards the living room, she turned on the couch just as Regina walked in. Her smiled quickly faded when she took in the sight of Emma and Henry and for a moment Emma thought she was going to walk right back out, but she didn't and instead she walked over to the couch and sat down on the coffee table in front of both of them.

And in that moment, Emma knew that Regina had overheard their conversation and it wasn't as if they had kept their voices down and the kitchen wasn't all that far away. Regina reached for her hand and Emma let her take it, smiling a little at the way it felt when their fingers intertwined with ease.

"Henry, I know how this feels right now, that you can't even look at your mother or myself without thinking about what you heard last night," Regina started and her voice had taken on an almost motherly tone that it surprised her. "I love your mother dearly, Henry, and I am so sorry that you had to hear that last night. But you never did answer her question about whether or not you have a problem with us and what we do when we are alone together."

"I don't have a problem with it, it's just weird because she's my mom!" Henry said and Emma noticed him trembling a little as he stared at Regina sitting in front of him. "I don't want to think about her doing those things with you. It worse than all those times I caught you two kissing, like way worse!"

"And if your mother was with a man instead of me, would it still bother you as much?"

"No. Yes, I don't know," he mumbled and Emma's heart sank. She had truly thought her son was different than this, that he was far more accepting because she had truly believed that since she started seeing Regina in the summer. "I'm too young to understand this, I know that, but Mom had the talk with me last year and I was too young for it then too. I thought it was wrong to have sex before you marry someone. You two aren't even married!"

"Is that what this is about, kid?" Emma asked, finding her voice again. "Because we're not married and we're having sex?"

"Yes!"

Emma shook her head at her son. This was not how she raised him. "Someone said something to you, didn't they? Someone told you that it's wrong and you believed them. Who told you that, kid?"

"No one."

"Henry."

"Some old lady," he muttered under his breath. "She was on the street one day when I got off the bus after school, talking about sins and how even what you two have is wrong, that it isn't natural, that it isn't right."

"And you believed her?"

"No!"

"But you believed her about sex before marriage being wrong?"

"I don't know, Mom!" Henry yelled at her as he shot up from the couch. "I wish you never came in here to talk to me about it. I wish I never told Ruby that I heard you two last night."

"I don't want things to be awkward between all of us, okay?" Emma sighed as she looked up at her son with a shake of her head. "It's weird, it's gross, I get it, but we're in love with each other and unfortunately, kid, we're gonna want to do those things when we're alone. We're not going to stop because it bothers you. We're both sorry you had to hear that, we really are, and I'm trying to understand why you are so angry right now."

"I'm not angry," he snapped. "I'm traumatized and you both are making it worse!"

"Henry—"

"Emma, don't say another word," Regina said quickly and she rose to her feet, smiling down at Henry as she let go of Emma's hand. "Tell you what, I'll make you apple pancakes like I promised you I would and we're going to forget all about the last ten minutes and last night, okay?"

"It's not—"

"That simple, no I know that, but I also know that you want your mom to be happy and the way you're acting right now isn't making her happy, is it?" Regina asked and Henry looked over at Emma, frowning as he shook his head no. "I know you don't understand, not completely, but I do know that you are a smart young man and you know that whatever you started to believe what that God-fearing woman told you isn't how your mother raised you."

"I know."

"I know that you are a very curious young man as well," Regina continued and Emma could feel the tension and the awkwardness in the room starting to dissipate. "If you have any questions, you should never ever be afraid to ask your mother or even myself, even as awkward and weird as they may be, but there are things that you are far too young to understand and there is no way that either of us can help you understand it until you are much older."

"Like lesbian sex?"

Emma tried not to laugh at the confused look on his face, but she couldn't help it and neither could Regina as she shook her head and motioned for Henry to follow her to the kitchen. Emma stood up and trailed behind, smiling to herself at the way Regina had calmed her son right down and it was like a switch had flipped and he was back to being his normal self.

Henry sat himself at the island counter next to Ruby and Emma stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame as she watched Regina show Henry the way to whisk the pancake batter and how to use the whisk to further break up the fresh apples she had put inside of the batter, Henry following her instructions completely.

Ruby watched as well, and she looked rather perplexed at the complete change in Henry compared to what she'd seen before and what she had overheard. Emma moved away from the doorway and over to the coffee maker where there was a clean white mug waiting beside the machine for her. She poured herself a coffee as Henry suddenly burst out into laughter. She turned to look at him and half the pancake batter was covering him, the other half on Ruby.

"Do I even want to know how that happened?" Emma asked and they both shook their head no as Regina chuckled and simply just took the bowl from them and proceeded to quickly whip up another batch of batter. "Seriously, kid, how did it happen?"

"Your son has butterfingers," Ruby muttered under her breath. "He nearly dropped the bowl because he had it sitting on the edge and when I went to grab it, he tipped it."

"Sorry, Regina," Henry said sheepishly and she quickly waved him off.

"It's not a big deal," she said in that same motherly tone as before. "Why don't you two go get cleaned up and I'll make breakfast."

Once Henry and Ruby were out of the kitchen, Emma walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around her as she whisked the batter in the metal bowl. She placed a few loving kisses along her neck and cheek before Regina turned in her arms.

"You're kind of wonderful, Gina."

"Am I?"

"Yes," Emma smiled and she kissed her quickly. "The way you calmed Henry down like that, I didn't think anything would work with him this morning, but you handled it like a pro. You're going to be an amazing mother one day."

"Am I?"

"Yeah," Emma smiled again, studying her face closely, looking for any signs that this conversation was about to take a drastic turn. "You really would."

"I'm nearly almost too old to have a child of my own, Emma," Regina reminded her gently but Emma shook her head, indicating that wasn't what she'd meant. "Oh," she paused as she took a deep breath. "Do you mean I'd be an amazing mother one day as Henry's other mother?"

"Would that be okay?"

"Yes," Regina smiled brightly at her. "One day."

They shared a passionate kiss, keeping it shorter than either would have liked because they heard the sounds of a pair of footsteps quickly making way towards the kitchen. Regina didn't let her back away too quickly, planting a solid kiss on her lips and then her cheek before turning her attention back to the pancake batter just as Henry and Ruby walked in, dressed in clean clothes and no longer covered in batter.

Henry walked right up to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I'm sorry, Mom," he whispered into her shoulder as she held him right back. "I shouldn't have acted the way I did. It was stupid of me. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, you kind of did have the right to act that way. We did, after all, traumatize you," Emma replied with a low chuckle as he shook his head against her shoulder.

"She's pretty awesome, you know?" Henry said as he lifted his head and looked over at Regina, both of them smiling at each other before his eyes were back on Emma's. "Don't ever let her get away, Mom."

"Trust me, I won't. I don't plan on that ever happening again."

"Good, because I kind of really, _really_ like her too."

"Do you?" Emma laughed, raising an eyebrow at her blushing son.

"I do," Henry grinned and Regina's expression was a mix of emotions when he looked over at her again. "Do you kind of really like me too, Regina?"

"I do," she said softly with a nod of her head. Her lips quirked into a playful smile as her eyes met Emma's from the short distance they were standing apart.

Emma wasn't sure how Regina really felt about Henry, but she knew she didn't love him, not yet anyway, but she could see it happening and she could already see them as a happy little family, much like she could over the summer and it just pulled at her heart strings whenever she thought of such a thing happening for real.

Despite all the miles they'd have to go to get there, Emma couldn't wait to see what that journey would bring and she definitely couldn't wait for the future that was in store. For her, for Regina, and for Henry.


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Notes: It just occurred to me that four months ago exactly today I started writing/posting this little story, so I thought it was rather fitting that I update today and after last night (_don't even talk to me about OUAT_) I feel we need this. Thanks, as always for your awesome reviews! Can I say I love you guys without it getting weird up in here? ;) Enjoy!**

* * *

Every following weekend since the wedding, they had met halfway in Boston, only they opted on going to a small, reclusive bed and breakfast an hour out of the city. They never missed another weekend apart, not wanting to go through it ever again. Five days was already long enough and this week was different, they only had to spend a few days apart before Regina would drive down to New York City to spend the next five days with Emma and Henry for Thanksgiving.

Regina had been waiting for this trip to New York City since Emma put the offer out there for her to join them there for Thanksgiving and to stay for the entire weekend as well. Of course she said yes in a heartbeat, her own mother wasn't in the country since she was off vacationing in the French Riviera and wouldn't return until the holiday was over. She couldn't even remember the last time she had actually celebrated Thanksgiving since her mother never had since before her father had passed away.

Regina was fully looking forward to this trip, so much in fact that she had woken up at three in the morning on Wednesday and was in the car not even an hour later. Emma wasn't expecting her until the very next day, but she wanted to surprise her and if she made good time driving down, she's be there around noon or shortly after. Her excitement in surprising Emma was almost too much to contain as she drove down the interstate. She was itching to call Emma like they always did when they made the drive to Boston together just to pass the time a little quicker. She didn't want to call her because she didn't want to ruin the surprise.

That made the very long drive to the city feel so much longer. It gave her a lot of time to think, however, and no matter what direction her thoughts took, they all came back down to one thing. To that morning after the wedding, Henry's freak out because they had heard them, her words calming him down and then Emma telling her that she would be a wonderful mother. One day. She would be a wonderful mother one day and it just tore at her heart because if she had only just listened to Emma years ago, she could've already been that wonderful other mother to Henry.

Every time that thought came to her mind, she had to fight back the tears because there was absolutely nothing she could do now about that. She didn't have the power to turn back time, to do everything in her life far differently that would have led her on a much different path and one that likely wasn't a life in Storybrooke as a Mayor and closeted lesbian who was in a serious, longing distance relationship with the woman she had fallen for many, many years ago.

The rumours that had been circulating had continued after the wedding, murmurs of a blonde woman being the current object of the Mayor's affection didn't die down for weeks and Regina was just so relieved that her mother had gone off to vacation in the French Riviera for her usual two months like she did every year. She had no idea how she would've dealt with her mother and the silence she had given during the height of the rumours that were circulating sent a very clear message to the people that were talking about her and Emma.

She had tried to figure out ways to tell her mother without the repercussions she knew would come afterwards. She had tried to overcome her fear completely, but she couldn't get past that cowardice that clung to her like a second skin, especially not when it came to her mother. She just wanted to go through with it just because she hated the side of her that hid her true self, not just from her mother but from most of her town, colleagues and friends. The wedding had been a huge step for her, to be with Emma in such a public way, to kiss her even if they were chaste and quick kisses that looked nothing more than a friendly peck. The people who had attended the wedding were not the ones spreading the rumours either because they were people she was told she could trust and they had proven that much.

She had tried and failed to find anything they had done during Emma's time in Storybrooke to elicit such rumours to even begin in the first place, and nothing came to mind because they had been so private during those months. Unless there had been someone purposely spying on them, Regina had no idea how those rumours even started and it still bothered her that she didn't know. Maybe she would never know, but that didn't mean she didn't want to get to the bottom of things.

When she stopped for breakfast after being on the road for five hours, she spent some time going through the pictures of her and Emma on her phone, smiling at every one of them. Pictures from the summer, pictures from the past couple of weekends, some which were almost on the side of scandalous but never really showing too much, the pictures cutting away before anything was truly revealed.

Every single picture showed just happy they were together and Regina couldn't recall a moment in the last eleven years that her smile had reached her eyes like that, had been so genuine and that her love for Emma shone in her eyes so very clearly in every picture she flicked past. In a perfect life, a different life, they would've had eleven years of memories, eleven years of pictures, eleven years of memories. Eleven years of happiness she never had and she had to force herself to put her phone away at that point and finish her breakfast, paying with cash before she was back in her car and on the road again.

The closer she got to the city, the more the butterflies took flight inside of her. She loved that feeling because she felt it every time she met Emma halfway in Boston for their weekend together. She felt it every time just in the seconds before they kissed one another after spending days apart. She felt it every time she talked to Emma every night and she heard the whispered words of love and longing. And she most definitely felt it on those nights they took the phone call one step further, FaceTiming until the late hours of the night. That usually took a turn to a whole other level and Regina could just blush at the first time they'd done just that.

It started out as a tease and quickly escalated. Very, very quickly escalated and it only served to make her miss Emma even more than she thought she possibly could. Just the thought of the first time had her squirming in her seat as her Mercedes flew down the interstate.

It was definitely a memory she wasn't about to be quick to forget…

* * *

Regina shifted in bed, moving to sit with her back against the headboard as she stared at Emma's beautiful face on her phone as she held it at an appropriate distance from her, giving Emma a view of herself in bed.

"Hi," Emma smiled at her and Regina felt the butterflies in her stomach take flight at hearing and seeing her so adorably say one simple word.

"Hello, love," she smiled right back at her. The smile she got in response made her wish Emma was there with her, not hundreds of miles away and just an image on her phone.

"God, you look so beautiful, Gina."

"As do you."

Emma smiled as her phone shifted little, the angle now showing not just her face but her chest and the red bra she wore and nothing else. She watched as Emma's free hand moved into the picture, her fingers tracing over the top edge of her bra before she was greeted with the sight of a very aroused Emma on her screen.

"Will you…take it off?" Emma asked, her fingers still in view on the screen, dancing along the top of her breasts just over the edge of her red bra that Regina was completely transfixed on. "Baby, please, I need to _see_ you."

Regina's heart pounded in her chest as her free hand went to play with the hem of her plain t-shirt she had paired with a pair of shorts for bed that night—something Emma would wear, not her. All she wanted was for Emma to be right there with her. The miles between them completely being felt in that very moment.

"Hey, we don't have to do this if you're not comfortable," Emma said quietly over the phone. "I just wanted to see you."

"I'm not sure how to do this," Regina said, her voice sounding as if she was nervous when she wasn't, she was just unsure. "Do we…do this together or…"

Emma's smile made her heart flutter. The image on the screen went wobbly for a moment and Regina just watched as Emma's beautiful face came into view again. Neither said a word as Emma moved the phone lower, her now braless breasts coming into clear view on the screen. Regina's lips went dry as the phone moved lower, following the trail of Emma's fingers down her abdomen.

It wouldn't be the first time that Emma touched herself in front of her, but this was an entirely new experience, watching it from hundreds of miles away. As she watched closely, her breath hitched in her chest. Emma was naked, Emma was _very_ naked and her hand was making a slow descent between her legs. Her whole body flushed with arousal as she watched Emma sink her fingers inside of herself, the view still not showing her everything she wanted to see.

Regina shifted in bed as the image on the screen moved jerkily and then it slowed as the sight of Emma, all of her, showed on the screen, the phone propped against blankets or a pillow to show her what she wanted to see most. Emma, all of her, both hands sliding over her wet pussy, her face contoured with pleasure and her eyes shut tight. Regina felt her whole body responding to the sight and she resisted the urge to touch herself, wanting to wait until it was her turn to do just that for Emma.

She could hear just how wet Emma was so clear over the phone and she started breathing heavily at the sight and sounds on her screen. The urge to touch herself was almost too much and her eyes never strayed from the screen as she held her phone tight in her hand, the other reaching blindly towards the nightstand. She opened the drawer and felt around, biting her lower hip as Emma started moaning.

"Fuck, Regina, I wish you were here right now."

"I will be in a few days, my love," she replied softly. A deliciously sexy smile danced over Emma's lips and she was enjoying this as much as Regina was.

Regina could barely hold herself together, squeezing her thighs together tightly as she worked at trying to get out of her shirt without taking her eyes off the screen for more than a second. Something about doing this over the phone felt incredibly out of her element, but different was _good_, as she had so found out in the last five months that they had been together.

"Are you touching yourself, Gina?" Emma half moaned, half whispered just loud enough for her voice to carry over the sounds of her fingering herself. All Regina could do was shake her head no. "I want you to."

"Don't you want to…see me too?"

"Yes."

Regina moved a hand over her abdomen slowly, licking over her lips as her fingers dipped into her shorts. And then the screen went back and she pulled her hand out of her shorts quickly. The call had been dropped. With a wave of slight panic, she quickly called Emma, holding the phone to her ear.

"Fuck," Emma said as she answered. "What a hell of a time for it to stop working."

"Hmm," Regina hummed, her hand sliding back inside her shorts and she wasn't surprised to find how wet she was just from watching Emma sink her fingers inside of herself. "Perhaps it was just too…hot to handle another moment."

Emma's laugh was husky and it had Regina's whole body flush in arousal. "Are you touching yourself now?"

"Yes."

"How many fingers—"

"Two," she moaned as she deftly slipped two fingers inside of herself, wishing she'd taken off her shorts to give her more room to move.

They didn't speak, just listened to breathy sighs and moans. Regina closed her eyes, imagining her fingers were not her own, but Emma's. It wouldn't take much with that image in her mind and the images she had just seen before the screen had gone black. She had every inch of Emma's delectable body memorized for all those long, lonely nights.

She felt her orgasm, albeit a small one, course a hot path through her body as she heard Emma come undone as well. Her thighs twitched as she slicked her fingers over herself steadily before slipping her hand out from her shorts and stretching out on her bed, smiling contently as she heard Emma no doubt licking over her own fingers.

"Mmm," Emma moaned over the phone. "I can't wait until I see you again."

"Just a few more days."

"It's going to feel like a lifetime."

"But completely worth the wait."

"Gina?" Emma asked and she hummed in reply. "Can we do this again tomorrow?"

"We always call each other every night, darling."

"I meant…_this_."

"Oh, yes, I suppose we could. When the mood strikes of course."

"I'm always in the mood with you," Emma said sweetly with a side of sexy and Regina felt more than just a flush of arousal hit her in that moment. "So, tomorrow night we'll try this again?"

"Of course," Regina replied, finding herself smiling as she reached out for the silver bullet she'd pulled out of the drawer earlier. She rarely used it alone, bought specifically during the summer and her time with Emma, but her thoughts were wavering to how, if their video call hadn't ended when it had, she would've used it on herself for Emma.

"Shit," Emma groaned after a moment of silence between them. "I gotta go, Gina. Henry's calling for me and he hasn't been feeling so hot the past few days and…"

"I understand, darling."

"I'm sorry, babe."

"Go," Regina urged as she faintly heard Henry call out for his mother. "I love you, good night, my love."

"Good night, Regina. I love you too. I'll call you tomorrow when I get home, okay?"

"Okay."

"Night."

"Good night."

Regina sighed when she heard the soft click as the line went dead. She dropped her phone beside her on the bed and closed her eyes, her fingers curling over the silver bullet before dropping that too next to her on the bed. The next couple of days would drag on for ages, that she knew, but that weekend coming up, she knew that neither would leave their room at the bed and breakfast that had become their place over the last handful of weeks.

She was still looking for an affordable little apartment even though she knew how Emma had felt about it before. She wanted a place to call their own, a home away from home, because she wasn't sure how long it would be with the miles between them and the miles they had to go just to be together. She had already lined up a few places, studio apartments that weren't rentals, but affordable enough that when they weren't planning to be there, she could rent them out to tourists in the city of Boston. She was due to be in Boston a day earlier to look at the properties and she had hoped to find the perfect one before Emma arrived in the city for their weekend together.

She should've told her, she knew that before the phone call had been made earlier, but she was completely nervous given Emma's reaction months ago at doing just that. She'd crunched the numbers and it was far more affordable this way and a lot more discreet since she had found a way to buy a place privately with no public record or paper trail placing her as the owner. They needed this, their little home away from home halfway, even if it was for a few months or a year, however long it'd end up being.

* * *

Regina double checked the address in her contacts as she sat in her car outside of the weathered looking building. She smiled as she slid her phone into her pocket and climbed out of the car, quickly retrieving her suitcase from the trunk before walking up to the front doors. A man with a dog walked out as she approached the doors and he held it open for her, smiling a pleasant smile at her as she gave a curt nod of thanks and slipped inside.

She had wanted to surprise Emma and this made it so much more possible to do just that. Because it was barely one in the afternoon, she knew that Henry would still be in school until four and she knew for a fact that Emma had the day off today as well as the rest of the days until the following Monday. The fact that Emma wasn't expecting her for another day had her heart racing as she dragged her carry-on suitcase up the stairwell.

Despite the building's age and outer appearance, the hallways were clean although dimly lit and Regina smoothed a hand over her black trench coat as she opened the stairwell door and walked down the hallway towards Emma's apartment door. It had only just been a handful of days since they'd seen each other last, but it felt like their usual week apart and Regina just couldn't wait to see Emma again.

This trip wasn't just about spending Thanksgiving in New York City with Emma and Henry, this was also the moment she was going to tell Emma about the studio apartment she had bought and would give her a set of keys to and that alone was making her far too nervous. That was, aside from the fact that she had stopped at a little coffee shop ten minutes away and made a trip to the bathroom after she'd had a small cup of tea. What she wore under her trench coat—nothing aside from the garter that held up her almost sheer black stockings—was making her nervous as well, especially if Emma wasn't home alone as she had anticipated her to be.

She smiled to herself as she could just faintly hear the music thumping from inside apartment 5C and she knocked loudly, smiling wider as she heard the music suddenly being shut off and the telltale murmur of Emma swearing under her breath as she yanked open the door.

"Regina?!"

"Hello, my love," she smiled as she took in the completely floored look on Emma's face as the realization that she was standing there sunk in completely. "I thought I would—"

And in an instant, Emma's lips were on hers, silencing her words as Emma's fingers slipped through her hair and urged her past the threshold. She let go of the handle of her carry-on once they were inside and she smiled against Emma's lips as she heard the door shut heavily behind them.

"What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."

"Surprise?"

The way that Emma laughed had her spinning Emma around and pressing her up against the closed door, her lips finding hers with ease.

_Is this real? Is she real? Is everything I feel as real as it truly feels?_

Emma's lips on her own seemed to answer those unspoken questions in an instant. Insistent fingers were undoing the belt on her trench coat and the few buttons that held it together. Regina sighed contently into the kiss, one that was slow but soft and sure, as she felt Emma's warm hands splay across the smooth expanse of her abdomen, pulling open her trench coat with ease.

"Jesus, Regina," Emma murmured against her lips as her hands moved to cup her breasts. "Talk about surprises."

"I only thought—"

"Yeah," Emma nodded, kissing her hard as she pulled her body flush against her own. "I think you thought right, come with me. Henry is going to be home in a few hours."

Regina's head was spinning as she found herself being pulled down a short hallway and into a bedroom, Emma's bedroom. She barely had a moment to take in her surroundings before Emma's lips were on hers again and her trench coat was pooled at her feet before her brain seemed to catch up with everything that was happening and she slipped her hands under Emma's white tank top, pulling it off hurriedly as they took those few short steps towards the bed.

The last few days apart had most definitely been the hardest thus far and they were both feeling that separation, more than ever right in that very moment. As they fell to the bed together, Regina gave in to everything she felt when she was around Emma, she gave in to that lustful pull, the one she knew with such certainty would never wither and die out. The sexual side of their relationship was always intense and it wasn't the base of what they had, it just added fuel to the fire, figuratively and literally.

"I missed you," Emma whispered against her lips. "God, I missed you."

"It's only been a few days."

"Are you saying you didn't miss me too?"

"I did," Regina smiled against her lips, her fingers dipping under Emma's red panties as she eased them down over her hips, her hands splaying over her smooth behind as Emma lifted up enough for her to pull them away completely. "Why else do you think I decided to surprise you by coming a day early, darling?"

"Aside from showing up at my door like this?" Emma asked as her fingers skimmed over the edge of her garter and down the straps along the backside of her thighs. "I have no idea, really."

Regina grinned as Emma rolled over, sliding her body on top of hers as she shimmied out of her panties with practiced ease. They kissed hungrily, deeply, passionately, their shared separation anxiety showing with the urgency of their hands clutching and grasping at one another. Regina was feeling far too many emotions, emotions she never thought she'd ever feel in her life, but they were the emotions of a woman in love with another who lived hundreds of miles away when all she wanted was for her to be with her all the time.

All she had to do was ask Emma to marry her and the rest would surely fall in to place, but even in this moment, it was far too soon and the moment itself just didn't feel right. She did know, however, when the time came and when it felt right, she would not hesitate even for one moment to ask her.

She truly couldn't wait for that day to come.

* * *

Emma watched as Regina talked with Henry as they sat side by side on the couch, the two of them laughing and smiling smiles that reached their eyes and she found herself drowning in the sight before her. That was, until of course, Granny poked her hard in the arm to remind her to continue in her task of whipping up the mashed potatoes.

"Here, Em, you look like you could use a drink," Ruby said quietly as she placed a cool bottle of beer on the table beside the huge bowl of mashed potatoes she was supposed to be whipping with the fork. "Aren't they so sweet together?"

"Yeah," Emma smiled as she looked over at her best friend. "Ruby, she uh, she asked me and Henry to come spend Christmas with her in Storybrooke."

"Oh."

She didn't fail to notice the dejected look on Ruby's face. For as long as she could remember, she had spent Christmas with her and Granny, even before Granny had taken her in as one of her own. This would be the first Christmas in a long time that she wouldn't be spending it with them and a part of her didn't like that, but another part of her was so very excited to spend her first Christmas with Regina and Henry, like they were a family, a real family together at Christmas time.

She tried to focus on the bowl of potatoes, using the fork to whisk them into perfection, but her attention was soon stolen by Regina as she stepped up behind her and wrapped a single arm around her, her lips easily landing on her cheek.

"Do you want me to take over?"

"Uh…okay."

"Or is there something else that I can do?"

"Me," Emma said so softly that she knew only Regina would hear. They both laughed as She turned a little more to share a soft kiss with her before Granny cleared her throat loudly, effectively putting a stop to their little display of affection. "Is there something Regina can do?"

"I would love to help out."

"You can grab the wine from the fridge," Granny replied from where she stood at the stove as she pulled the turkey out. "And pour us each a glass and some apple juice for Henry, of course."

Regina nodded and planted one last kiss on Emma's cheek, just falling short of her lips before she was swiftly walking towards the fridge just a few steps behind them. In the small kitchen in Granny's apartment, the four of them managed to get all of the food on to the very full table, every step almost perfectly coordinated and Regina easily falling into the routine as if she'd done it a hundred times before.

By the time they all sat down at the table, they were all completely starving and it was Henry who dove in first, much like he always did and they passed each plate, each bowl around the table until everyone had all the trimmings and dressings on overflowing plates.

Regina and Granny talked about Storybrooke, about people that Emma didn't know and things that were happening and had happened in the time since Granny had been in Storybrooke last. Ruby and Henry were talking about what movie they were going to watch after dinner, and all Emma could do was sit back, her stomach already full as she draped an arm around the back of Regina's chair.

It was perfect, all of it, right down to the fact that Regina was wearing jeans and one of her hoodies after she explained to her that she didn't need to dress up for Thanksgiving dinner with her family. Even as they all worked together to clear away the table, Regina helping Granny with the dishes while Emma, Ruby, and Henry moved to the living room, the three of them moaning in pain from eating far too much food as they always did.

Emma slouched in the roomy arm chair while Henry laid on the floor and Ruby took up most of the couch as she laid on it, slightly curled on her side. Emma's eyes slid shut for a moment, just a moment, and then she felt Regina moving to sit with her on the chair on her lap and her arms instantly wrapped around her waist, her lips curling into a smile as her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey," Emma grinned, fighting the urge to just kiss her senseless because of how happy she looked in that very moment.

"Hi," Regina smiled right back at her, one hand moving to thread fingers through her hair just past the nape of her neck, the other moving to stop one of Emma's wandering hands from slipping under the edge of the hoodie. "What movie are we watching?"

"I have no idea," Emma shrugged as they both moved to get a little more comfortable on the roomy chair together, Regina still very much on her lap in the end. "Yo, kid, what movie are we watching?"

"Spiderman," Henry replied simply as he grabbed the remote off the coffee table and pressed play.

Emma didn't protest his choice of what movie they were watching, she never did, not even if she'd see it hundreds of times already. She was full on good food and she had the love of her life in her arms and she was with her family, she was happy. Happier than she ever remembered being and ever so grateful she could spend this holiday with her family, _all_ of her family.

She really couldn't see celebrating another holiday without Regina. The thought alone made her nuzzle her nose into Regina's neck, smiling against her skin as she placed a soft kiss just below her ear. She glanced over at Henry, then at Ruby and Granny on the couch, relieved that they were far too preoccupied with the movie to notice either of them as they snuggled on the couch.

Emma moved her hand that was resting on Regina's jean-clad hip and placed it on her cheek, moving her until her lips were inches away. They shared a soft kiss, lingering for a moment before Regina pulled away, but Emma, in her turkey coma and happy daze, pulled her back in for another kiss. Regina almost pulled away when Emma slipped her tongue past her lips and Emma moved her hand to the back of her head, holding her right where she was. She gave in after a moment, kissing her back just a deep. When Regina pulled back for the second time, Emma let her go, but not before leaning forward quickly to plant one last kiss on her lips.

They went back to watching the movie and Regina didn't stop Emma's hand from slipping under the hoodie this time, her fingers circling over the small of her back, eliciting small little shivers when she hit the right spot.

By the end of the movie, Henry had fallen asleep, Granny was in the kitchen finishing up with the cleaning and Ruby was lounging on the couch, fighting sleep as well. When Emma nudged at Regina, she chuckled quietly when she found her to be fast asleep as well as she laid her head on Emma's shoulder. Once she roused Regina, she picked up Henry, grunting because he was getting so big now and this was one of the many reminders that her little boy was growing up. It took her a few tries to get him to wake up and after a few goodbyes with Granny and Ruby, her and Regina were both struggling to get a half-asleep Henry down to the Bug.

"Tonight was wonderful, Emma. Thank you for inviting me to spend this time with your family," Regina smiled at her once they were in the car.

"Our family," Emma said softly. "You're one of us, Regina. You're with me so that makes you one of us."

"As you've said many times before."

"I mean it."

"I have no doubt about that," Regina smiled, leaning over to plant a soft kiss on her lips before sitting back in her seat. "Let's go home."

"Yeah," Emma said with a smile. "Home."


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Notes: 700 followers? Literally like I cannot believe this story has reached that many people and wow, thank you to those who followed, I hope you are all enjoying this story! Also, as always, much love to the ones who always review! I love hearing your thoughts on the story and seeing what you predict to happen next and right now all I can say is, you're all in for quite a ride...enjoy :)**

**p.s. I am on twitter (same username as here) if anyone wants to give me a follow and come say hi, but I can't promise to be interesting, and I am trying this thing where I give away a spoiler the day before I update a new chapter**

* * *

Regina fidgeted with the keys to the studio apartment in Boston while Emma showered. She stood up from the bed and started pacing, double checking to make sure she hadn't forgotten to pack everything. She'd be leaving in just a few short hours and over the past five days, she still hadn't told Emma about the apartment.

"Hey," Emma smiled as she slipped into the bedroom with just a white towel wrapped around her body. She shut the door with her hip and walked across the room towards Regina and stopped short. "Gina? Hey, what's wrong? Are you suddenly regretting your refusal to join me in the shower?"

"No," she said as she clenched the two keys tight in her fist as she sat down. "There is something that I need to talk to you about before I leave and I really hadn't meant to leave it to the very last possible moment to tell you."

Emma's happy face suddenly fell and she swallowed hard. "Um, okay."

"It's not what you think," Regina said as she reached out with her free hand and pulled Emma down gently to sit next to her on the bed. "It's something good, darling."

She smiled, watching Emma relax just a little bit and she knew she had to just come right out and say it, tell her about the studio apartment that would be theirs for however long they would keep traveling hundreds of miles to spend weekends together.

"I'm quite a bit nervous," Regina admitted and she didn't take her eyes off of Emma's, finding herself drowning in those green eyes she could stare into for eternity. "I recall when we were discussing this in the summer that you were a little bit uneasy about the whole thing."

"What thing?"

"I wanted a place we can call _ours_," she continued. "A place in Boston, a place we can spend our weekends at that is wholly and completely ours."

"Regina…" Emma trailed off as Regina uncurled her fist around the keys and placed it in Emma's hand. "No, are you serious?"

"Very serious, Emma."

"This is kind of a big deal," Emma said quietly, looking down at the two keys for a moment. She sighed heavily, her emotions unreadable and while it was rare that Regina couldn't read her like an open book, she was very nervous about Emma's reaction. "Is it a rental?"

"No, it's ours," Regina said quietly, loving the way it felt to call it "ours" because it didn't matter that she was the one who bought it, it was for both of them. "Emma?"

"I can't afford to help you pay for the mortgage," Emma replied in a rush, panic washing over her otherwise shocked features. "I can barely pay the rent here as it is right now—"

"Emma," Regina shook her head, taking both of Emma's hands in her own, holding the one with the keys just a little bit tighter. "There is no mortgage. It's paid for. It's _ours_."

"You can't be serious!"

"Are you upset?" Regina asked carefully, still trying to gauge her reaction.

"This is too much, Regina."

Regina's heart sank as Emma pulled her hands away from hers and let the keys fall to the bed. Regina's heart was racing in her chest as she watched Emma stand up from the bed abruptly and held the towel to her body before it fell. Regina felt like maybe she had made a mistake, a huge mistake. Maybe it was too much, maybe a rental would've been less intense, less of a commitment, but she only just wanted a place that was theirs and theirs completely.

"Emma—"

"How could you afford something like this?"

"I have money."

"I _know_ you do, jesus," Emma shook her head and Regina really didn't like the look she saw in her eyes in that moment, but she just sat on the edge of the bed, watching Emma as she stormed over to the dresser. "Regina, I-I just wish you would've talked to me about this before you went and bought a place."

"I'm sorry," Regina said quietly, frowning as she watched Emma drop the towel and quickly pull on a pair of red panties that barely covered anything at all. "I wanted it to be a surprise…"

Her mouth was dry as Emma kept her back to her while she rooted through a drawer. Regina's eyes cast downwards as she smoothed her hands over her skirt and her black stockings, her insides twisting into never-ending knots. The room felt as if it were closing in on her and she cast her gaze over to the two keys sitting next to her on top of the black bedspread and she felt the tears sting her eyes.

"I just thought that it would be nice to be able to have a place that is ours and ours alone, not some hotel room or the room we always go to at the bed and breakfast. I just wanted a…home away from home, a home with you even if it is where we meet halfway, because I just wanted to share something _more_ with you."

Emma didn't say a word as she slammed the drawer shut loudly, the sound of it making Regina jump a little while her fingers playing with the hem of her black skirt and her heart continued to race wildly in her chest. Emma turned slowly, her expression still unreadable and Regina could only stare at her, watch her with heavy intensity as she crossed the room and approached her.

"This is a lot," Emma said quietly, standing a few feet in front of her with her arms crossed over her chest. "Regina, I…I don't know how to feel about this."

"Come and spend next weekend there with me," she said simply. "Please, darling?"

"It's really ours?" Emma asked as she picked up the keys off the bed and stared down at them as they laid flat in her palm. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Emma's smile twitched over her lips as she walked back over to the dresser and placed the keys on top of the cluttered surface. Regina could barely move as she took in the sight of Emma's backside and watched as she threaded her fingers through her wet hair, her curls more prominent as her hair fell along her bare back. When Emma turned back around, Regina's breath hitched in her chest at the dangerously sexy smile that danced over Emma's lips as she stalked her way back over to the bed.

She reached out, her hands landing on Emma's hips and she pulled her down until she was straddling her hips. Their lips met with ease as the heaviness of their current situation started to slip away from them. Regina gasped as she moved her lips to Emma's neck, dragging the flat of her tongue along her warm skin. Emma's fingers were already quickly unbuttoning her blouse hurriedly, each button flicked open with every press of Regina's lips along her neck and collarbone.

Regina didn't want to think about how she should be on the road in less than an hour, she didn't want to think about leaving at all, all she wanted to think about was how much she wanted Emma right then and there, and how good her freshly showered skin tasted against her lips and tongue.

"Regina…" Emma gasped as her lips descended lower across her chest and she pushed open Regina's blouse, her hand moving up to grasp at her shoulder.

Regina smoothed a hand over Emma's thigh, her other hand moving up her back to bury her fingers into wet hair. Her lips wrapped around a straining nipple and she sucked gently, teasing the tip with her tongue, eliciting a breathy moan from Emma before she moved to lathe her tongue over the other, her hot breath spilling over the puckered flesh while she trailed her fingers teasingly over Emma's inner thigh.

Emma's hand slid up over her neck and grasped at her chin, pulling her away from her breasts and up to her mouth and they were kissing, soft and slow and deep. She trailed her fingers over Emma's panties, teasing circles over her clit with her thumb. Emma grinned against her lips before pushing her back on the bed and kissed her harder, deeper. She rubbed her fingers over her harder as Emma's body sank on top of her own, skin against skin as her shirt was pushed wide open.

"Emma," Regina whispered, her breath hitching in her chest as Emma shook her head no and reclaimed her lips with her own.

Even though Regina had been there for five days, they hadn't had a whole lot of time alone and even at night they hadn't spent much time doing anything else other than sleeping in Emma's comfortable and homely feeling bed. It was different being here, different because of Henry and the fact that his room was right next to Emma's and sound traveled easily in the small apartment.

"Emma," Regina tried again and she found herself tumbling into an ocean of green eyes and blonde hair as Emma kissed her again. "Emma, maybe we shouldn't."

"Why not?"

"Henry is—"

"Is over at Ruby's right now," Emma replied, smirking before moving down to place hot, open mouthed kisses along her neck. "I sent him over there before I jumped in the shower. I wanted some time, just the two of us, before you go home."

Regina laughed with a shake of her head. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to, but then you distracted me with the apartment and the keys and then everything else. Especially this part," Emma replied and Regina fought the urge to roll her eyes, her body very much reacting to every kiss Emma placed over her skin.

Their time together was coming to and end and rather quickly, for Regina knew she had to be on the road in no more than an hour. It made her think that perhaps next time she would fly down instead of drive, shave back the eight or so hour drive to a forty minute flight, give or take. Next time she would and it would give them that much more time to spend with one another.

She reached for one of Emma's wandering hands, sliding it up under her tight skirt, urging her along, needing for her to be quick so that they could make the most of their time alone together. Their lips met again in a wanton kiss, both of them trying to take the lead, to be in control of the other, trying and failing and trying again.

The last five days had given Regina a complete experience of what it would be like to be with Emma all the time, with Henry around and their sexual freedom restricted in a sense. It had brought a sense of clarity to their relationship and to a future Regina had no doubt was exactly where they were headed.

Her focus was brought right back down to earth, to Emma's bed, with Emma's fingers dipping under the edge of her panties to slide along her folds. Her own hand mirrored Emma's ministrations, her fingers slipping inside her red panties and sinking into the wetness she found waiting for her.

Emma shuddered, moaning into her mouth as she thrust a single digit inside of her, her movements quick and hard and almost desperate. Yet by the third hard thrust inside of Emma, she found her hand being pulled out and pressed against the mattress near her head, Emma's lips curling into a smile just before she pulled back from her lips to continue trailing them hotly over her skin, her fingers teasing her clit in a way that drew out endless sighs and moans.

Just as Emma's kiss swollen lips wrapped around an achingly hard nipple, she looked up at Regina, flashing a warning sign not to move an inch, not even her hands, one buried in her damp hair and the other still pinned to the mattress by a strong hand.

Regina gasped, moaning in pleasure as Emma's teeth scraped over her nipple, her tongue laving at the tender, puckered flesh as she let go of her hand and moved her fingers to the small little zipper on the side of her tight black skirt. Regina inhaled sharply as Emma leaned back and tugged on her tight skirt, urging it down past her hips and down her thighs.

A shuddered breath escaped past Regina's parted lips as Emma's eyes drank her in, her fingers trailing lightly over her panties before urging them down her legs. Emma had a possessive look in her eyes and it only caused her arousal to intensify tenfold. She spread her legs under Emma's possessive gaze, her eyes sliding shut as Emma trailed her hands up her stockinged legs and the moment she hit the skin of her thigh just above the edge, Regina's hips rolled, desperate for Emma's mouth to be on her.

Emma's mouth claimed the spots her fingers traced over and Regina grasped at the bed spread with both hands, her back arching as her pussy throbbed with need. Emma's tongue was teasing along her inner thigh, her hands grasping at her hips. She didn't even hold back the moan that rumbled through her as Emma's tongue licked over her fully, from one end to the other, her pointed tongue swirling over her throbbing clit in teasing strokes before her hot breath spilled over her core and her tongue dipped out again to taste her.

Every stroke of Emma's tongue became bolder and harder until her tongue was buried inside of her, twisting and turning and curling until Regina fluttered at every stroke, every deep thrust of Emma's tongue, her body jerking and spasming as she came hard, her hips rising as Emma kept a firm hold on her, her tongue thrusting harder and faster inside of her, relentlessly.

Her body twitched as she rode out her orgasm, feeling every inch of Emma's tongue against her as she drank her in thoroughly. She uncurled her fingers from around the bed spread and slid them through Emma's hair, roughly pulling her up until their lips were engaged in another wildly, wanton, passionate kiss.

Regina grasped at Emma's panties where they fell across her hips and she pulled, hard, until the sound of fabric ripping overtook their moans. Her hand was between Emma's legs, her fingers sinking in deep. She thrust her fingers in and out of Emma with desperate urging, anxious to have her coming undone in a matter of minutes. Or less.

"Regina," Emma groaned as she rode her fingers, her hips bucking with every hard and quick thrust. "Oh god, Gina, I'm gonna cum…"

Of course Regina knew that, she could feel her inner walls clenching tighter and tighter against her fingers. She grasped at the back of Emma's neck with her free hand and pulled her down forcefully to kiss her, the kiss all lips, tongue and teeth as Emma came hard, her whole body shaking as Regina stilled her fingers inside of her, both of them buried to the hilt as Emma all but collapsed on top of her.

Their kiss slowed, turning into something soft and sweet and something that was more them than anything else. Regina just barely managed to slip her hand out from between them wrapped her arm around Emma, holding her close to her.

"That was…that was different," Emma panted as she was the one to finally break their intense kiss, not moving far from her at all. "Good different."

"Mmm," Regina grinned as she arched her hips up into Emma's, her hand splaying over her bare back slowly and surely. "It's not the first time we've taken each other like that, Emma."

"No, it's not, but fuck," Emma chuckled and she peppered light kisses over Regina's lips before pulling back just enough to look into her eyes. "I'm really going to miss you."

"And I you, just as always, but we'll see each other next weekend."

"Yeah."

"You'll come meet me at our place?" Regina asked tentatively, waiting for the uneasy reaction as Emma had before. Emma nodded a little, her green eyes boring into her own, both trapped in an intense gaze far different than the ones they were used to.

"Friday night?" Emma asked after a moment.

"Yes, darling, Friday night. I am going to drive down a bit earlier than I normally do."

"I'll be there around seven."

"You will?"

"Yeah," Emma smiled, neither of them moving apart from one another. "Got the approval for a half shift on Fridays. It'll give us a few more hours together than what we usually have. And when I said I'll miss you, it's going to be harder this time because we've just spent the last five days together. I feel like I got spoiled."

"I as well," Regina said, nodding in understanding. "We still have some time and it appears I still have my shirt on."

"Yeah, you do," Emma chuckled and they rolled over effortlessly and Regina sat up, straddling Emma's hips as Emma's hands reached out to slide her shirt off completely. They both smiled as Regina moved to lay back down on top of her. "We have about a half an hour," Emma said softly. "How about we make the most of it?"

"I like the sound of that, my love."

* * *

Emma pulled the Bug up along the sidewalk and came to a stop in front of a tall, narrow building. She double checked the address before turning into the parking lot and found the spot next to Regina's Mercedes and pulled in beside it.

She had been nervous about making this trip, but she had also promised Regina that she would be there no matter what. She had spent the entire week trying not to think about the apartment in Boston, what it meant for them and how it would change their relationship, for better or for worse—which she hoped wouldn't be worse because she really couldn't imagine her life without Regina now. Yet, when she woke up this morning, the nerves hit her with such force she had almost been physically sick from the impact. It'd been a long time since Emma felt so nervous, especially in this way.

This was a huge step. A really _huge_ step in their relationship and even though they technically weren't moving in together on a full-time basis, they still had a place that was theirs and theirs alone.

Emma breathed out heavily, running her fingers through her hair a few times before getting out of her car and grabbing her bag off the back seat. She walked up to the back door of the building and fiddled with both keys, finding the right one to let herself into the building and she took a deep breath before she walked inside. The hallway was brightly lit, the tile dark and the walls clean and white. She followed the long hallway down to the front lobby and hit the button for the elevator.

Her nerves were growing by the second and the fact that so far the building was about a hundred times nicer than hers back in New York City wasn't helping much either. She hit number seven once she was inside the spacious and mirrored elevator and the ride up to the seventh floor was smooth and quick.

Regina had told her to take a left off the elevators and she did, her footsteps muted as she walked along the dark carpet in the hallway. When she reached 707, she clutched the keys in her hand, the other holding on to the straps of her duffel bag tightly. She hadn't called or text Regina to let her know that she was there and she wanted to surprise her since she was almost an hour earlier than planned.

"Regina?" Emma called out as she opened the slate grey door and stepped inside.

The door clicked quietly behind her as she dropped her bag to the hardwood floor. She swore under her breath as she took in the sight of the studio apartment and although it was just a studio, the size of it took her breath away. Tall ceilings, everything was open and the kitchen was just off to the left of the entrance, a closet off to the right. Emma slipped off her shoes, kicking them to where Regina's heels were just in front of the closet and she walked across the smooth, shiny and dark hardwood floors.

"Gina?" Emma called out again and her heart nearly skipped a beat when Regina opened the bathroom door and stepped out. "Hey."

"Hello, my love," she smiled as she crossed the short distance to wrap her arms around Emma. "I wasn't expecting you until after seven."

"Hmm, I thought I'd surprise you."

"I love surprises."

Regina hummed as she planted her lips on Emma's kissing her softly as they just held on to one another. She let out a laugh when she broke away from the rather chaste kiss and she reached for Emma's hand quickly.

"Come, I'll give you the grand tour."

Humouring her, Emma followed her around the apartment, first through the kitchen that was very similar to Regina's in Storybrooke, then around to the bathroom which was a lot bigger than Emma had imagined, complete with a large soaker tub she couldn't wait to have a bubble bath in. Regina led her over to the large floor to ceiling windows, the lights of Boston twinkling in the darkness.

"So, uh, where do we put the bed?" Emma asked as they stood hand in hand by the sliding door that led out to a very small balcony.

"I was thinking right over there," Regina replied as she pointed to an alcove just off where the bathroom was and hidden mostly from sight from the rest of the apartment.

"And where are we sleeping tonight because I got to tell you, hardwood floors are not comfortable at all."

Regina laughed, slipping her arms around Emma and kissing her giddily. "I am having the mattress and box spring delivered tonight. It should be here shortly. Tomorrow, though, we can go shopping for a frame and perhaps some other furniture."

"Right…"

"I've stocked the fridge with some food, some wine and some beer for you," she continued and she grabbed Emma's hand again and led her into the spacious kitchen. "I brought some dishes from home, just enough for the two of us while we're here. We'll worry about buying more in case we ever have guests to entertain."

"Guests? I don't know anyone in Boston. Do you?"

"No," Regina said and she laughed with a shake of her head. "No guests then," she winked and she opened the fridge and pulled out a cold bottle of beer that she placed on the counter before pulling out a bottle of red wine and opening a cupboard to pull out a wine glass from a nearly empty shelf. "If you'd like, we can order in tonight."

"Okay."

"You've been awfully quiet since you got here," Regina said softly. "Do you not like it?"

"No, Gina, it's not that I don't like it. This place is great!" Emma said, smiling despite the lump in her throat. "But being here, it just makes it…_real_."

Regina didn't say a word as she turned her back to Emma and poured herself a rather large glass of wine. Emma reached out for the bottle of Stella Artois, a brand she never bought because it was too expensive for her tastes, but it was one she loved to drink when she could afford it. The first sip went down smoothly and she turned to take in the expanse of the apartment again, her eyes sweeping over every minuscule detail.

She was still very nervous and she knew that Regina was beginning to feel uneasy with the way she was reacting to all of this. She took a few more sips of her beer before placing it down on the rather large island and she walked up behind Regina and slipped her hands over her hips.

"Does this mean you don't want to be here or for us to share this place together?"

"Regina, no," Emma whispered, feeling just how tense she was when she dropped a kiss to her neck. "This is a really big step for us and new. Really new. We've never come close to doing this, not before anyway."

"Do you think this is a mistake? That maybe we are moving too fast?"

"No," Emma shook her head and dropped another kiss to her still tense neck. "No, it's not a mistake and we aren't moving too fast. I just—I feel intimidated by all of this. This place is gorgeous, Regina, and a huge step up from what I've always known. You've seen my apartment and how crappy the building is, but it's home. This place? God, I could never afford to live in a place like this so I never imagined myself living somewhere so…"

"Upscale?" Regina asked, her voice bitter. She still hadn't turned around to face Emma.

"_Nice_," Emma corrected her. "Really nice. God, I'm sorry I'm acting like this, really, I am. I don't know _why_ I'm being like this or why being here is making me feel so nervous. I think a part of me is just—what if this changes things between us, Regina?"

"Changes things how?"

"I don't know."

Regina chose that moment to turn around and Emma tried to look away but the soft, firm hands that were immediately on her face prevented that from happening. "If anything changes, Emma, it will be _good_ change. We are moving forward together and this is just one step that we're taking, albeit a big one, but it's not as if we're going to be living here full-time. It's just for the weekends."

Emma wanted to say something about spending too much money on a place they would only be spending their weekends at, but she bit her tongue, not wanting to cross that bridge with Regina. Not now, not ever. Things like wealth and privilege made no difference to her, it never did when she first met Regina and it definitely didn't matter now. Maybe it did bother her a little bit, deep in the back of her mind and maybe that was the reason why she had been so unsure and nervous about this whole thing.

Whatever it was, Emma wasn't sure she was ready to find that answer out just yet.

"We're moving forward," Emma repeated and she watched Regina's lips curl into a heart-melting smile. "So, when is the bed supposed to be coming?"

"Soon," Regina chuckled softly, moving in to kiss Emma firmly on the lips. "I had anticipated having it arrive before you did."

Emma kissed her then, because how could she not when she had spent the whole week not just being nervous about coming here tonight, but because she had missed her so much that it hurt, it physically hurt.

"I wanted to talk to you about Christmas," Regina said once they parted, albeit reluctantly a few moments later. "I want you to bring Ruby and Granny with you."

"For real?"

"Yes," Regina smiled affectionately. "I know how much they mean to you, Emma. They are your family and as much as I want to spend the holidays with you, you need to spend it with your family as well."

"You are a part of my family now, Regina."

"I like that I am."

"Yeah?"

Regina nodded, smiling in a way that had a hundred million butterflies take flight inside her stomach all at once. Their lips met again, kissing soft and slow and sure as they stood in the middle of the kitchen in the quiet of the apartment—their apartment—and as the thought of calling it their love nest crossed Emma's mind, she couldn't help but let a laugh slip out mid-kiss.

"What is so funny?" Regina asked gently.

"It's not just a place to stay while we're in Boston, the apartment I mean," Emma said and the curious look on Regina's face made her laugh a little again. "It's like our little love nest, isn't it?"

"Yes, I suppose it is."

"We're going to need a really good bed," Emma chuckled throatily. "Maybe with posts?"

"How very kinky."

"Very," she grinned, suddenly feeling a lot differently than she had been before. "And I think we're going to need some…toys just for here," she said in a hushed whisper, her cheeks slightly reddening as Regina's lips curled into a salacious smile.

"I wholly agree, darling."

"So, I was thinking that maybe tomorrow we can just look for a bed frame and maybe go to that shop, you know the one, and pick up a few…things."

"I like that idea. Shall we leave the rest for another time?"

"Yeah, I think we should."

"It'll seem awfully empty and bare in here, Emma."

"The only thing I want to see _bare_ is your ass, Gina," Emma replied with a sassiness to her voice. Her hands moved to grasp at her ass, grinning as the move elicited a breathy moan from Regina. They moved together as Emma found herself pushed up against the island counter, a move that mirrored one from many months ago when Emma had taken Regina in her kitchen completely.

Emma sighed as her hands slipped over the soft fabric of Regina's dress pants, gripping and grasping at her pliable behind as their lips met in another kiss, an unhurried one, one that was just about feeling while they danced in the moment they found themselves in fully and completely.

Despite her earlier reactions and feelings, Emma had all but forgotten everything but the fact that she was there with Regina, kissing her, holding her close as she was pressed into the island counter while Regina's hands roamed freely over her body in every place that she could reach. Even despite all her nerves, everything about this felt right because she was there with the woman she loved more than anything and everything felt so right and just so perfect with her.

She could definitely see the rest of her life with Regina, living with her, having a life together, loving her more than anything else in the world—right up there with as much as she loved her own son. Those thoughts were always so very overwhelming and it filled her with such need, such drive to make it happen, to live that dream, to have their happy ending together. Forever.

She thought back to the hour just before Regina left that past Sunday, how hard they had taken each other before making love for the remainder of time they had together. It hadn't been enough. It never would be enough. Not until they didn't have to go another day apart.

That day truly couldn't come soon enough and even though Emma was so unsure of what would happen when it did happen, she definitely couldn't wait.


	28. Chapter 28

Regina blinked as the warm morning sunlight flooded in through the windows and she smiled as she closed her eyes and ran her hand over the smooth, deep purple silk sheets. Emma's body was warm against her back and her arm was draped over her middle, a hand splayed lightly in the valley between her breasts and a strong thigh between her legs.

She loved waking up just like this, with Emma holding on to her and her soft breath tickling over the back of her neck. What she wouldn't give to have this every day, to wake up just like this every single day for the rest of her life. But they were taking things one step at a time, one day at a time, and even though she knew that one day she would ask Emma to marry her, that one day this would become a reality, she knew it was still too soon.

It was still too soon even though the ring was in the glovebox in her car. It was still too soon even though there had been plenty of moments since Emma arrived the night before that were almost the perfect moment to ask her. But it was too soon. Still far too soon to take that next step in their relationship.

She wanted it, she wanted that happy ending she'd been dreaming of her whole life. She wanted to share a life with Emma, to call her her wife, to share a home and maybe even have a baby together. She was getting ahead of herself, but she really couldn't stop those thoughts from invading her mind so early in the morning. Especially not with Emma snuggled up against her, their bodies fitting together perfectly, like they were made for one another.

Regina placed a hand over the one that was nestled snuggly between her breasts and she felt Emma stir as she did and she smiled, humming at the feel of Emma's lips against her bare shoulder. She turned her head to meet Emma's lips in a soft, tender kiss and when they parted, Regina laid her head back down on the pillow as Emma's lips moved back to her shoulder, kissing over her skin softly and slowly. The thigh between her legs rose higher with every kiss until Regina could feel it pressing against her center firmly.

Oh yes, she definitely wanted to wake up every morning just like this.

"Morning," Emma whispered in between kisses along her shoulder.

"Good morning," Regina hummed as she rolled her hips against Emma's strong thigh.

They moved fluidly together until Emma was on top, her thigh back between Regina's legs as their lips met in a deep, passionate kiss that left Regina throbbing in need. It was no secret that Emma was incredibly horny in the mornings and it was just one of many things she loved about waking up in her arms. The sheet fell from around Emma's back, exposing them to the slight chill in the air.

Emma moaned as she moved against Regina's thigh, their bodies moving together in a rhythm they both knew all too well. In a matter of moments, the chill in the air was forgotten as the heat they were generating together enveloped around both of them. Regina scratched her short nails down Emma's back, arching into her as they kissed harder, deeper, unable to get enough of each other. She could never get enough of her.

There was just something about the way the sunlight flooded in past the windows that made everything glow in the warm morning light that stole away the chill still lingering in the air. Even with the emptiness in the apartment, Regina felt so at home with Emma there with her. It was a feeling she found herself experiencing more often than not and it was a feeling that felt so right, so natural to her now.

Even after spending hours making love and only getting a handful of hours of sleep, Regina wanted her again, over and over, just as she knew Emma wanted her too. There was no question about how they felt about one another anymore, not even lingering doubts or fear that Emma would leave her and their relationship would be over. Again. Those thoughts hadn't been there for months on an end and they never would come back ever again. Regina made sure of that by pouring every ounce of her love into their relationship and into Emma, making sure that even with the distance between them, that their relationship never changed, that it only grew stronger with every passing day.

She was drawn from her thoughts as Emma's lips began a sensual descent down her body, warm, wet lips not hesitating as her body settled between her spread legs. Regina's back arched at the first touch of Emma's hot tongue against her and she gripped at the silk sheets and threw her head back against the pillows.

There was no way they were leaving the bed for the next couple of hours, at _least_.

* * *

Hours later, they were driving back from the store in Regina's car, the radio on low and their hands linked together. They had managed to crawl out of bed and they shared a long shower together before realizing there were no towels. That led to nearly ravishing each other in the bathroom until they were dry enough to get dressed. After having brunch at a restaurant a few blocks away, they went shopping for a bed frame.

_Regina followed Emma through the showroom, walking past different beds on display. The entire warehouse was almost empty, the showroom quiet aside from the salesman who would check in on them every once in a while. Emma was moving from one display to another and Regina could barely contain her laughter as she passed off every frame, muttering how it just wouldn't do._

_"Emma, we need to pick something," Regina said as she stood behind her as Emma stood by one of the displays, the frame metal with bars running horizontally across the large head board. "What about this?"_

_"It's not wood."_

_"We didn't agree on a specific type material."_

_"Right."_

_Regina shook her head as Emma moved to jump on the bed and laid down, raising her arms to grasp at the bars of the headboard with a dangerously sexy smile dancing over her lips. Regina's whole body responded to the sight of Emma laid out on the bed, her fingers grasping at the bars on the headboard. She grabbed at Emma's hands when she spotted the salesman coming their way again for the umpteenth time and she yanked her off the bed, both of them giggling as Emma wrapped her arms around her, spinning them around until they nearly collided onto the next display together._

_"I think this is the one," Emma said quietly and Regina nodded in agreement. "It is, isn't it?"_

_"If you say so, darling."_

_"Do you like it?"_

_"Yes."_

_"What about that one?" Emma asked, pointing to the one across from where they stood. It was white wood with posts on the headboard and footboard. It was nice, Regina mused, but not what she was looking for either. "No?"_

_"No."_

_"This one?"_

_Regina nodded, planing a chaste kiss on her lips before slipping out of her arms and turning to face the salesman who had been rather hesitant to approach them again. His face was red as he fiddled with his hands and cleared his throat. "Do you have this specific frame in king size, sir?"_

_"K-king size?" He stammered. "I believe so, yes."_

_"Good, we'll take just the frame and we will need it to be delivered today."_

_"Today?"_

_"Is that not possible?" Regina asked, studying the red-faced man carefully. "Shall we take our business elsewhere?"_

_"We can do a delivery today, ma'am."_

_"Good," Regina said with a polite smile. "Shall we?"_

Regina just grinned at the recent memory and the fact that they had spent hours looking for the right bed frame for their love nest. Snow started to fall from the dark grey clouds that had rolled in shortly after they'd left for brunch. Once she parked her car beside Emma's yellow Bug, they headed inside the building together, hand in hand, neither letting go as they waited for the elevator doors to open.

Regina cast a glance at the red bag Emma held in her hands, the bag of toys they'd picked up at the adult store they'd stopped by on the way back home. Regina was curious because Emma had told her to stay in the car and made the quick trip inside the adult store alone and she had absolutely no idea what Emma had picked up and she wouldn't say a word when Regina kept asking so she had shut right up, the rest of the drive a quiet one.

Her curiosity was growing by the second as the elevator doors opened slowly. An older couple stepped out, smiling at the two of them as Emma pulled her into the elevator and hit button number seven.

"Are you going to tell me what is in the bag now, darling?"

"Nope," Emma replied, popping her lips to the word and grinned as she gripped on to the bag a little tighter. "You'll have to wait and see, Gina."

"I wanted to share that experience with you, but you insisted that I stay in the car."

"For a reason," Emma replied. "If we went in there together, we would still be there right now and you know it."

Regina rolled her eyes, allowing Emma to put her out of the elevator once they were on their floor and down to their door. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, her hand falling away from Emma's as she moved to take off her wool coat and slip out of her Jimmy Choos. When Emma slipped out of her red jacket, Regina tried to reach for the bag but Emma snatched it right back up from where she'd put it on the floor and shook her head no.

She rolled her eyes again, watching Emma stalk over towards the bed and sit down. She hung up her jacket and Emma's in the closet before walking into the kitchen to pour herself a much needed glass of wine after the day they had just had. She knew she was acting rather childish, pouting because Emma wouldn't let her see what she had bought.

"Hey," Emma said softly, startling her for a moment before she sank back into her arms and placed the bottle of wine down on the counter. "I don't want to start anything we can't finish. That bed frame is going to be here soon."

"Oh."

"But what I can do is tell you that I bought a strap-on," Emma whispered into her ear. "A strapless one."

A shiver ran down Regina's spine. "Hmm, and what else did you buy, darling?"

"Handcuffs."

Another shiver ran down Regina's spine at the way Emma practically purred into her ear. "Anything else?"

Emma chuckled throatily before Regina turned around to face her. "Yeah, but it's going to be a surprise, Gina."

"Can't I have a hint?"

"Nope," she grinned before dipping her head forward to capture Regina's lips with her own. "But I promise you'll like it."

Regina playfully rolled her eyes at the ridiculously silly grin dancing over Emma's lips. She wanted to kiss it away, but the sound of her cell phone buzzing from where it sat on the counter made her pull away from the tight space between Emma's body and the counter she was nearly pressed into. She fumbled with her phone as she raised it to her ear to answer it.

It was the delivery man. The frame was there and they wouldn't have to wait for very much longer to put it to good use. She pressed number nine on her phone to let the delivery man in the front door and hung up the phone, placing it back down on the counter as Emma slipped her hands over her hips from behind her again.

They were kissing the instant that Regina turned in her embrace, but it didn't last for long and they broke apart at the sharp knock on the door. Smoothing out her clothes, Regina went to let the delivery men in while Emma stalked off towards the mattress and picked up the bag and disappeared into the bathroom.

"You've requested a set up as well, yeah?" The man asked while another loomed behind him. Regina nodded her head and he looked back at the other one. "Let's go Roger, let's get this bed set up for the pretty lady."

Regina didn't say a word, watching as they carried the headboard in together. She just led the men over to the alcove, instructing silently that that was where she wanted it put together. After the men made a few trips down to the truck, all of the pieces were finally there and they started putting it together, neither of them unable to take their eyes off of Regina as she supervised.

Emma still hadn't come out of the bathroom. Regina tried to to think of why that was, but for whatever reason that Emma was in there, she was sure she'd find out one way or another. When the task of putting the frame together was finally completely, the two men put the box spring and the mattress on the frame and left once Regina handed them each a twenty dollar bill. She locked the door once they were out and slipped the chain into place.

"Emma?" She called out as she approached the bathroom door. "Darling, is everything all right?"

"I'm just having a bath," Emma replied from beyond the bathroom door. "Come join me, Regina?"

Regina smiled and opened the bathroom door, surprised because she had thought it had been locked before. Emma sat in the soaker tub, it filled almost all the way to the top with warm water and bubbles that smelled like vanilla.

"Shall I get the wine?"

"No, just strip and get in here," Emma replied, her eyes closed and her head laying against the edge of the tub. She licked over her lips, opening her eyes the moment that Regina started to unbutton her blouse ever so slowly. "Am I ever going to be able to get you into jeans a t-shirt, Gina?"

"No."

"No? It's the weekend," Emma replied, grinning as Regina shook her head no again.

"I don't do casual."

A sexy grin curled over Emma's lips as Regina slipped off her blouse and folded it neatly before placing it on the vanity near the sink. She shimmied out of her pants, watching Emma watch her as she stripped and loving the look of lust and longing that shone so brightly in Emma's beautiful green eyes.

Along with their trip to the furniture store and the adult store, they did make a point in stopping to buy some towels, fluffy white towels that were still down in the trunk of her car. With wide eyes, she moved to quickly redress herself and Emma sat up in the tub, her face contoured in confusion.

"Towels."

"Oh."

"They're still in the car."

"Regina—"

"I'll be back quickly, darling."

Regina grabbed her coat and her keys, slipping on her heels as she practically ran out the door after fumbling with the chain for a few seconds too long. This wasn't exactly how she imagined the first weekend in their own place going, not at all. Rather than dwell on how things actually were going, she retrieved the bag of brand new towels from the trunk of her car and headed back inside the building, jamming her finger into the button even though she knew it wouldn't make the elevator come any quicker.

By the time she was back in the apartment, she was practically ripping off her clothes as she walked back to the bathroom. She walked inside, completely naked, the door still open from her quick departure, and Emma gasped as she threw the bag down to the floor and climbed into the tub with her, their lips crushing together in a heated kiss. The water was warm and just perfect, her body quickly adjusting to the water as she straddled Emma's thighs and kissed her deep and slow.

The water in the tub sloshed around as Regina broke away from Emma's lips hesitantly. With the slight nod that Emma gave her, she moved fluidly until she was seated between Emma's legs, her back against her front and fully enjoying the feel of Emma's lips trailing over her shoulder and neck. She could feel the heat against her lower back that was radiating from Emma's pussy and she groaned, pushing back up against her as Emma's hands gripped at her hips, stilling her movements completely.

"Can we just…you know, sit here and enjoy this?"

"I thought—"

"You remember what happened the last time we tried to fuck in the bath?" Emma chuckled, her lips finding their way back to kiss over Regina's shoulder again. "So much water on the floor that it leaked right through to the suite below us. Remember? That week we had here in Boston?"

"Yes."

"So, can we just…" Emma trailed off when Regina relaxed more against her body.

"Yes, we can."

Regina knew where Emma was coming from. She knew what she was trying to say without having to hear her say the words. She just wanted to sit there in the warm bath, relaxing with the love of her life, nothing more and nothing less. She really loved moments just like this, moments where they could just…be. She also knew that if she played her cards just right that Emma would fold in a matter of minutes.

Regina placed her hands on Emma's knees, laying her head back against Emma's shoulder as she rubbed along the warm, wet skin of her thighs. Her eyes slid shut as she relished in the feeling of Emma's arms wrapping around her body completely and this was one of those feelings she truly couldn't get enough of. She had been so confident that she'd be able to turn things around completely, but when Emma's hands fell on to her own, she sighed and felt the soft press of Emma's lips against her temple.

"This is nice."

"It is," Regina hummed in agreement.

"Just you and me, a warm bath and bubbles that smell like—"

"You," Regina finished and she felt Emma smile as she pressed her lips to her temple again. "We should do this more often."

"Yeah?"

"Of course, darling."

"I'd like that," Emma whispered into her ear. "Just as long as you promise to keep those naughty hands of yours to yourself."

"Do you really want me to promise something like that?"

"Just in the bath."

Regina chuckled and simply just nodded her head, agreeing to Emma's silly little request to keep her hands to herself. She relaxed even more against Emma's body, neither saying a word for quite some time, just sitting in complete silence, the rise and fall of both of their chests are in perfect synchrony. When the water became cooler, Regina moved to climb out of the large tub first, watching as Emma pulled the plug before standing. Regina was already in the large shower stall before Emma was out of the tub, the water warm as it fell from the shower head. Emma joined her to rinse away the bubbles and they were kissing in a matter of seconds, hands grasping at each other's bodies in almost a desperate, pleading way.

The tiles were cool against her back as Emma pressed her up against the wall, a hand sliding between their bodies and in between her legs. Regina closed her eyes, moaning at the feel of Emma's strong fingers dancing over her tender flesh. Despite it only being hours since they last made love, it felt far longer than that. She gripped at Emma's shoulders, struggling to keep her balance on the wet, slippery shower floor, widening her stand as Emma's fingers deftly slid inside of her.

There is nothing loving or tender about it, not with the way that Emma's fingers were slamming inside of her and Regina kissed her hungrily, her hands grasping at Emma's ass hard, her short nail digging into her soft pliable flesh.

Regina moaned as Emma sucked on her bottom lip before moving to trace the tip of her tongue over her scar. She sucked on the spot around it and buried her fingers to the hilt, Regina's orgasm flooding through her suddenly and quickly. She panted, spinning Emma around until her back was against the wall and she gripped lightly at Emma's wrist, urging her fingers out from inside of her.

She kissed over Emma's wet skin, her hands on her hips, keeping her pushed up against the tiled wall as the water continued to run. She wrapped her lips around a semi-erect nipple, feeling it harden as she sucked, hard. Emma moaned, her fingers tangling through Regina's wet hair, not pushing or pulling, just kneading her fingers at the base of her scalp.

Moving to kneel in front of her, Regina looked up at Emma, her eyes capturing Emma's green one's in a heady, desirable gaze. She licked over her lips as she smoothed her palms from Emma's hips and down strong, smooth thighs. She dropped open mouthed kisses from her knee up to the apex of her thighs and she urged Emma to lift a leg up from the floor and she licked along her inner thigh, inhaling in deep as her tongue teased over Emma's folds. Splaying a hand against the tiled wall with Emma's leg over her shoulder, she held her steady with her other hand, moving to lick over her again.

"Fuck, Regina," Emma gasped, her fingers still threading through her wet hair.

Regina moaned against her tender, wet flesh, her tongue sinking in deep as she felt Emma's legs buckle with the intimate touch. She moaned again, drinking Emma in completely, feeling just how hot and tight she was with every thrust of her tongue. Regina's breath caught in her chest as Emma moved a hand to stroke over her own clit, bringing her closer and closer to tumbling over the edge.

Regina twisted and curled her tongue inside of Emma, unable to hold back her smirk as she leaned back to catch her breath before diving right back in, doing it over and over again because she knew just how much Emma loved the thing she did with her tongue. Emma's legs shook as her orgasm flooded through every ounce of her body and Regina sucked over her hole, drinking in her cum and humming in pleasure at the taste of her.

She felt as if she were on a high as Emma pulled her to her feet, their lips meeting in a lazy, wet kiss. They both squealed as Emma pushed back at Regina and they stepped under the now cold spray of water. Both of them reached for the handle to shut the water off and they were left shivering and laughing as they clutched to one another.

They unhurriedly dried themselves off with the fluffy white towels, Regina watching Emma as she stood at the vanity, the towel wrapped around her body tightly as she ran her fingers through her wet, tangled curls in an attempt to tame them. Regina walked up behind her, her towel falling to the floor as she wrapped her arms around Emma and kissed over her bare shoulder slowly.

"How about we take this to the bed?" Regina whispered and she felt Emma's breath hitch in her chest as her fingers moved to pull at the towel, pulling back just enough for it to fall and pool at Emma's feet. "And you can show me what you bought today."

"Yeah…"

"Are you going to fuck me or am I going to fuck you first?" Regina asked, pulling her hair aside to kiss along her neck and she licked along the shell of Emma's ear, eliciting a breathy moan.

"Whatever you want."

"I know exactly what I want," Regina grinned, watching Emma's face in the reflection of the mirror. "I want you." She kissed over her neck again, her eyes not leaving Emma's in the reflection for a second. "I want _you_ to fuck me, Emma Swan, and I want _you_ to make me cum screaming your name."

They rarely were so vocal in that way with one another, but when the mood struck, neither could really hold back and Regina knew just how turned on Emma got when she became risqué, not just with her words but her actions too.

"And the handcuffs?" Emma asked, her voice steady yet quiet. "Do you want to…"

"After, yes, we have another night and another day to have each other in any and every way," Regina grinned, watching her hands smooth over the tight skin of Emma's abdomen, watching Emma's hands move to lay on top of hers.

Regina smoothed her palms over Emma's skin, her touch light but firm as her hands skirted up past the gentle curve of Emma's breasts, hard nipples tickling over her palms. Her lips moved to Emma's neck again, licking over her pulse point that was jumping rapidly against the flat of her tongue. The moment Emma turned in her arms, their lips are on one another's, tongues slipping, sliding, dancing together as Emma's strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her out of the bathroom and towards their bed.

Outside the snow continued to fall, creating a soft glow coming in the floor to ceiling windows and as they lay on the bed together, the soft, smooth sheets sliding against still slightly damp skin, Regina pulled back from Emma's lips just to look into the eyes of the woman she loved with all her heart.

"I love you," Regina smiled, wishing that this was the moment, but as right as it felt, it wasn't the moment she was looking for, waiting for. "I love you so much."

"I love you," Emma purred, moving to lay at Regina's side inside of on top of her, one thigh placed between Regina's as her fingertips trailed over her skin softly. "I fall in love with you more and more with every day that passes. How is that possible?"

"It just is."

Emma smiled a brilliantly gorgeous smile that made Regina feel those butterflies take flight all at once in her stomach. She reached up with one hand to cup Emma's cheek before they both met each other halfway for a sweet yet passionate kiss. Sweetness turned into something more, something hotter, something wild and wanton in a matter of moments.

Just as things were heating up, Emma pressed a single finger to Regina's lips and she slipped off the bed and into the bathroom where she was hidden away for far too many minutes. Regina waited patiently and she licked over her lips as Emma finally emerged, wearing the strapless strap-on with a slight blush to her cheeks.

Regina beckoned her over, keeping her legs closed as she leaned back on her elbows and raised up her right knee. Emma licked seductively over her lips as she knelt on the edge of the bed and crawled up towards Regina, staying to her left side and dipping her head down for a heavy, needy kiss.

"How do you want me?" Regina whispered hotly against Emma's mouth, already knowing exactly how Emma wanted her, on her hands and knees so she could take her from behind, one of her favourite ways when there were toys involved.

"You know how."

"Hmm?" Regina grinned, kissing her quickly before moving to settle on her hands and knees, looking back over her shoulder at Emma just as Emma lowered her lips to the small of her back.

Regina closed her eyes, rocking back against Emma's lips as they followed the curve of her backside, her hands gripping at the pliable flesh as her tongue dipped out to lick over her puckered flesh. Regina shuddered as Emma licked over her cunt fully, her tongue teasing at her clit and making her nice and wet.

Emma gasped as she moved back and Regina felt the bed dip as she moved to kneel behind her. She reached back at the leg Emma had raised and she dug her nails into her thigh as she felt the tip of the rubber phallus press against her opening. Inhaling deeply, she relaxed enough to allow Emma to slide inside of her, both of them moaning as she buried it to the hilt.

"Fuck, Emma!" Regina cried out, her hips bucking as the rubber phallus filled her whole.

Emma kissed over her shoulders as she leaned forward and Regina could barely hold herself up, falling into the pillows as Emma leaned back and slid out slowly, her hands gripping at her hips firmly. She cried out when Emma thrust back inside her fully, the movement swift but slow. Regina let go of the firm grip she had on Emma's leg, smoothing both hands over the sheets as she thrust her hips back against Emma, wanting her to move harder and faster.

She struggled to push herself up from the mattress as Emma moved swiftly, moving one hand under her abdomen to keep her from falling forward again. The harder and faster Emma moved, the harder it was to keep from collapsing on the bed, but she bit her lip and moaned loudly, her body twitching when she felt Emma cumming hard and fast and every quick jolt of Emma's hips was making her come undone just seconds later.

Emma pushed forward as Regina collapsed on the bed, the rubber phallus still buried inside of her as Emma kissed over her neck and shoulders slowly. Regina reached back, threading her fingers through Emma's damp hair and she strained as she turned to capture Emma's lips with her own in a hot, heavy kiss that left them breathless.

"Do it again," Regina purred and she felt the shiver run through Emma's body as if it were her own. "Fuck me, Emma, don't stop."

"God, yes," Emma murmured against her skin, unmoving for a moment before she started to move her hips, the position making it hard for her to really fuck her.

Regina buried her face into the pillows and bit back the scream as Emma pounded into her, hard and fast and deep, not holding back in the least. They came again together and despite the ache, the soreness between her legs, Regina just couldn't get enough.

It was going to be, yet again, a very long, _long_ night…


End file.
